Photos of Schisandra chinensis, Schisandra, Wu-wei-zi, 五味子, wei-zi

Schisandra chinensis, Schisandra, Wu-wei-zi, 五味子, wei-zi , a member of the Schisandraceae or Schisandra family, is a famous herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Chinese name translates into five-flavor fruit (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and pungent). The fruits are an official remedy in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It was first listed in the primary class of herbs in the classic first century herbal of the divine plowman emperor Shen-Nong, Shen-Nong Ben Cao Jing. Virtually all of the herbs listed in his primary class of herbs are the most important Chinese medicinal plants today. Traditional uses of Schisandra fruit include the treatment of nervous conditions, cough, and liver conditions, in addition to being a general tonic. These uses are generally confirmed by modern research. The fruit is widely used in tonic or adaptogenic and liver formulas.

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