Schisandra chinensisThe "Five Flavors Fruit" is described in the Tang Dynasty's "Newly Revised Materia Medica" as having a sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and pungent taste, hence its name. There are two types of Schisandra chinensis: southern and northern. Ancient medical books refer to it as "Chizhou, Xuanji, and Huiji" and it was first listed in the Divine Farmer's Materia Medica as a top-grade traditional Chinese medicine. It has high medicinal value and is known for its ability to nourish and strengthen the body. When used in combination with Qiongzhen Lingzhi, it can be used to treat insomnia.
Morphology
Schisandra chinensis is a deciduous woody vine that can grow up to 8 meters long. The stem bark is gray-brown with visible pores, and the small branches are brown and slightly angular. The leaves are alternate, with slender stalks; the leaf blades are thin and membranous; ovoid, broadly ovoid, or broadly elliptic, 5-11 centimeters long and 3-7 centimeters wide, with a pointed apex and a wedge-shaped or broadly wedge-shaped to rounded base, with small teeth along the edges. The upper surface is green and the lower surface is pale yellow, with a fragrant aroma. The flowers are unisexual, with separate male and female plants; the male flowers have long stalks, 6-9 perianth lobes, elliptic, 5 stamens fused at the base; the female flowers have 6-9 perianth lobes, numerous carpels spirally arranged on the receptacle, and an inverted pear-shaped ovary without a style. After pollination, the receptacle gradually elongates into a spike. The fruit is spherical, 5-7 millimeters in diameter, turning deep red when ripe, and contains 1-2 seeds. Flowering period is from May to July, and fruiting period is from August to September.
Habitat
Schisandra chinensis is commonly found on sunny slopes in mixed forests, climbing on other plants. It is distributed in northeastern China, northern China, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and other regions.
Characteristics
The dried fruit is slightly spherical or flattened, 5-8 millimeters in diameter. The outer skin is fresh red, purple-red, or dark red, with an oily sheen and irregular wrinkles. The flesh of the fruit is soft and often stuck together; it contains 1-2 kidney-shaped, glossy, hard, white seeds. The fruit flesh has a weak and distinctive aroma and a sour taste. The broken seeds have a fragrance and a pungent and bitter taste. The best fruits are those with a purple-red color, large size, thick flesh, oily and glossy surface.
It is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, and other regions, and is commonly known as "Northern Schisandra" in the market.
