Schisandra chinensis, also known as Wu Wei Zi, is described in the Tang Dynasty's "Newly Revised Materia Medica" as having a taste that includes sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy. There are two types of Schisandra chinensis: the southern and the northern. Ancient medical books refer to it as "chi yu," "xuan ji," and "hui ji," and it was first listed as a top-grade traditional Chinese medicine in the "Shennong Materia Medica." It has a high medicinal value and is known for its ability to nourish and strengthen the body. It is often used in combination with Reishi mushrooms to treat insomnia.
Schisandra chinensis is a deciduous woody vine that can grow up to 8 meters long. The stem bark is grayish-brown with noticeable lenticels, and the small branches are brown with slight angles. The leaves are alternate with slender petioles and thin and membranous leaf blades. They are ovate, broadly ovate, or broadly elliptic, measuring 5 to 11 centimeters in length and 3 to 7 centimeters in width. The apex is pointed, and the base is wedge-shaped, broadly wedge-shaped, or rounded. The margins have small teeth, and the upper surface is green while the lower surface is pale yellow. The leaves are fragrant. The flowers are unisexual, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The male flowers have long pedicels, 6 to 9 perianth lobes that are elliptic in shape, and 5 stamens that are fused at the base. The female flowers have 6 to 9 perianth lobes, numerous spiral arranged pistils on the receptacle, and a pear-shaped ovary without a style. After pollination, the receptacle gradually elongates and forms a spike. The fruit is spherical and measures 5 to 7 millimeters in diameter. When ripe, it is dark red in color and contains 1 to 2 seeds. The flowering period is from May to July, and the fruiting period is from August to September.
It grows in mixed forests on sunny slopes, climbing on other plants. It is distributed in Northeast China, North China, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and other regions.
The dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis is slightly spherical or oblate, measuring 5 to 8 millimeters in diameter. The outer skin is bright red, purple-red, or dark red, and it appears oily and wrinkled. The flesh inside is soft and often sticks together. It contains 1 to 2 kidney-shaped, glossy, hard seeds with a yellow-brown color. The fruit flesh has a weak and distinctive aroma and a sour taste. When the seeds are broken, they emit a fragrant aroma and have a pungent and bitter taste. The best fruits are those that are purple-red in color, large in size, thick in flesh, oily, and glossy.
It is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Hebei provinces, and is commonly known as "northern Schisandra" in the market.
