The types of Chinese medicinal materials collected by
Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China

Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China was a national medicinal standard in China. It is stipulated in Medicinal Management Law of the People's Republic of China that the medicines must be according with the national or local medicinal standard. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China there are seven editions of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China issued. The medicinal materials contained by each edition are increased markedly.

In the pharmacopoeia of 1985’s edition, 446 kinds of the materials were contained, and 383 kinds of them, made up 86%, are herbs; 42 kinds of (9%) animals; 21 kinds (5%) minerals. The originals of the plant and animal were showed in two aspects: a drug having many sources, or many drugs having one source. For example, there were 425 kinds of plantal and animal drugs contained in the pharmacopoeia of 1985’s edition. 81 kinds of them coming from two sources, 32 kinds from three sources, 9 kinds from four sources, 3 from five, and 1 from six sources. Also, there were 42 kinds of them having many sources. According to statistics of the basic source 425 kinds of the materials of plant and animal came from 536 kinds of the species of plant and animal, and belonged to 160 kinds of the families.

In the pharmacopoeia of 1990’s edition, there were 509 kinds of Chinese medicinal materials and plant oil, including 439 kinds of plants, 47 of animals and 23 of minerals. Meanwhile, there were 627 kinds of basic sources involved in(not including appendix), 557 of them belonged to plant, 70 of them belonged to animal. The case of basic source was that 373 kinds of them belonged to one source, 88 kinds of them to two sources, 36 to three sources, 7 to four sources, 6 to five sources, and one to six sources. The medicinal matereials belonged to many basic sources are follows. Materi Medica which have four sources are Rheum palmatum or R. tanguticum or R. officinale (Dahuang), Iphigenia indica (Shancigu), Lasiosphaera fenzlii or Calvatia gigantean or C. lilacina (Mabo), Arisaema consanguineum or A. amurense or A. heterophyllum (Tiannanxing), Arca inflata or A. granosa or A. subcrenata (Walengzi), Rhus chinensis, or R. potaninic or R. punjabensis var. sinica (Wubeizi), Cimicifuga foetida or C. dahurica or C. heracleifolia (Shengma), Hirudo nipponia or whitmania pigra or W. acranulata (Shuizhi), Glycyrrgiza uralensis (Gancao), Pyrrosia lingua or P. sheareri or P. drakeana or P. petiolosa or P. davidii (Shiwei), Lilium brownii or L. pumilum or L. longiflorum (Baihe), Stemona japonica or S. sessilifolia or S. tuberossa (Baibu), Phyllosrachys nigra var. henonis (Zhuru), Fritillaria pallidiflora (Yibeimu), Evodia rutaecarpa (Wuzhuyu), Ostrea rivularis or O. gigas or O. ralienwhanensis (Muli), Baphicacanrhus cusia or Indigofera tinctoria or Isatis tinctoria or Polygonum tinctorium (Qingdai), Prunus japonica or P. humilis (Yuliren), Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum or A. sieboldii (Xixin), Pteria margaritifera or P. martensii (Zhenzhu), Amomum villosum or A. xanthioides (Sharen), Clematis chinensis (Weilingxian), Curcuma zedoaria (Ezhu), Codonopsis pi'osula (Dangshen), Solenognathus hardwickii or Syngnathoides biaculeatus or Syngnathus acus (Hailong), Aesculus chinenssis or A. wilsonii (Suoluozi), Akebia quinata or A. trifoliate or A. trifoliate var. australis (Yuzhizi), Oo theca mantidis (Sangpiaoxiao), Coptis chinensis or C. deltoidea or C. omeienssis or C. teetoides (Huanglian), Polygonatum sibirricum or P. cyrtonema or P. macropodium or P. kingianum or P. cirrhifolium (Huangjing), Periostracum serpentis (Shetui), Ephedra sinica or E. equisetina or E. intermedia (Mahuang), Lithospermum erythrorhizon or Arnebia euchroma or Onosma paniculatum (Zicao), Citrus tangerina (Juhong), Moschus moschiferus (Shexiang) belonged to three sources, Fritillaria cirrhosa or F. cirrhosa var. ecirrhosa (Chuan beimu), Gentiana scabra or G. triflora (Longdan), Prunus armeniaca or P. armeniaca var. ansu (Kuxingren), Curcuma aromatica or C. longa or C. zedoaria (Yujin), Gentiana macrophylla or G. crassicaulis or G. tibetca (Qinjiao), Fraxinus rhynchophylla or F. bungeana or F. paxiana (Qinpi), Lonicera japonica (Jinyinhua). Drugs coming from five sources are Dendrobium nobile or D. linawianum or D. officinale or D. moniliforme or D. hercoglossum or D. aduncum (Shihu), Citrus tangerina or C. erythrosa (Chenpi), Poncirus trifoliate or Citrus aurantium or C. wilsonii (Zhike), Uncaria rhynchophyllaa or U. sinensis (Gouteng), Hippocampus kelloggi or H. histrix or H. kuda or H. trimaculatus (Haima), and Epimedium grandiflorum (Yinyanghuo). While Concha haliotidis (Shijueming) belonged to six sources.