The product of fifteen years of collecting activity throughout China,
this book offers the first comprehensive, botanically authoritative, and
practical illustrated identification guide to Chinese medicinal plants
and drugs and their substitutes. The herbal drugs included in the book
are officially recognized in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, with an eye
toward drugs that are common in international trade, as well as those
recognized by Western medical associations. The book is laid out to
allow quick and easy cross-referencing of official and substitute
species and will be ideal for those without botanical information
training. A joint project of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development at the Chinese Academy of
Medical Sciences, it will be indispensable for anyone working with
traditional or herbal remedies.