Chinese Name Latin Name Common Name Scientific Name Primary Function ji xue teng 雞血藤 Caulis Spatholobi Spatholobus stem Spatholobus suberectus Dunn Blood-regulating 活血 Dong chong xia cao 冬蟲夏草 Cordyceps sinensis Cordycepes / Caterpillar fungus Cordyceps sinensis Tonification 補益 Yun zhi 雲芝 Coriolus versicolor Turkey tail / Cloud mushroom Polystictus versicolor (L.) Fr. Tonification 補益 ju hua 菊花 Flos Chrysanthemi Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. Exterior relieving 解表 jin yin hua 金銀花 Flos Lonicerae Honeysuckle flower Lonicera Japonica Heat clearing 清熱 sang ye 桑葉 Folium Mori Mulberry leaf Morus alba L. Exterior relieving 解表 Shan Zha 山楂 Fructus Cartaegi Hawthorn fruit Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. C. pinnatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br. Digestant 消食化積 Nu zhen zi 女貞子 Fructus Lingustri Lucidi Glossy privet fruit Ligustrum lucidum Ait Tonification 補益 gou qi zi 枸杞子 Fructus Lycii Wolfberry / Goji Lycium barbarum L Tonification 補益 Bu gu zhi 補骨脂 Fructus Psoraleae Malaytea Scurfpea Fruit Psoralea corylifolia L. Tonification 補益 Jin ying zi 金櫻子 Fructus Rosae Laevigatae Cherokee Rose Fruit Rosa laevigata Michx Astringent 固澀 Fu pen zi 覆盆子 Fructus Rubi Palmleaf Raspberry Fruit Rubus Chingii Hu Astringent 固澀 Wu wei zi 五味子 Fructus Schisandrae Chinese Magnoliavine Fruit Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. Tonification 補益 Ling Zhi 靈芝 Ganoderma Reishi mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. Ex Fr.) Karst Ganoderma japonicum (Fr.) Lloyd Tonification 補益 ma huang 麻黃 Herba Ephedrae Ephedra Ephedra sinica Stapf. Exterior relieving 解表 Xian Ling Pi 仙靈脾 Herba Epimedii Epimedium Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim Tonification 補益 fu ling 茯苓 Poria Poria / Indian bread Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf Fluid-regulating 利水滲濕 dang gui 當歸 Radix Angelicae Sinensis Angelica root Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels Tonification 補益 Huang qi 黃 Radix Astragali Astragalus root Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge) Hsiao A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge and the other species of the same genus Tonification 補益 da huang 大黃 Radix et Rhizoma Rhei Rhubarb Rheum palmatum L. Purgative 瀉下 gan cao 甘草 Radix Glycyrrhizae Liquorice root / licorice Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. Tonification 補益 Ba ji tian 巴戟天 Radix Morindae Officinalis Morinda Root Morinda officinalis How Tonification 補益 San Qi / Tian Qi 三七 / 田七 Radix Notoginseng Notoginseng / Pseudoginseng Panax notoginseng (Burk.) Stop-bleeding 化瘀止血 bai shao yao 白芍藥 Radix Paeoniae Alba White peony root Paeonia lactiflora Pall. Tonification 補益 xi yang shen 西洋參 / 花旗參 Radix Panacis Quinquefolii American ginseng / North American ginseng Panax quinquefolius L Tonification 補益 he shou wu 何首烏 Radix Polygoni Multiflori Fleeceflower root Polygonum multiforum Thunb. Tonification 補益 ge gen 葛根 Radix Puerariae Kudzu root Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi Pueraria thomsonii Benth. Heat clearing 清熱 gan di huang 乾地黃 Radix Rehmanniae Rehmannia root Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. Heat clearing 清熱 shu di huang 熟地黃 Radix Rehmanniae Praeparatae Processed rehmannia root Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. Tonification 補益 Dan Shen 丹參 Radix Salviae Militiorrhizae Salvia root / Red sage root Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge Blood-regulating 活血調經 zhi mu 知母 Rhizoma Anemarrhenae Anemarrhena rhizome Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. Heat clearing 清熱 cang zhu 蒼朮 Rhizoma Atractylodis Atractylodes rhizome Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. Resolving dampness 化濕 bai zhu 白朮 Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae Largehead atractylodes rhizome Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. Tonification 補益 shan yao 山藥 Rhizoma Dioscoreae Chinese yam Dioscorea opposita Thunb. Tonification 補益 jin qiao mai 金蕎麥 Rhizoma Fagopyri Cymosi Wild buckwheat rhizome Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) Hara Heat clearing 清熱 tian ma 天麻 Rhizoma Gastrodiae Tall gastrodia tuber Gastrodia elata Bl. Soothing liver and checking wind 平肝熄風 Chuan Xiong 川芎 Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong Sichuan lovage rhizome Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort Blood-regulating 活血調經 Hong Jing Tian 紅景天 Rhodiola Rhodiola / Roseroot / Arctic Root / Golden Root Tonification 補益 jue ming zi 決明子 Semen Cassiae Cassia seed Cassia obtusifolia L. / Cassia tora L. Heat clearing 清熱 yi yi ren 薏苡仁 Semen Coicis Coix seed Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. mayuen (Roman.) Stapf Promoting urination 利水 Tu si zi 菟絲子 Semen Cuscutae Dodder seed Cuscuta chinensis Lam. Tonification 補益