\r防葵\ph102.bmp\r，生临淄川谷及嵩高、少室、泰山。苏恭云∶襄阳、望楚、山东
及兴州西方有之。其兴
州采得，乃胜南者，为邻蜀土也。念惟出襄阳，诸郡不闻有之。其叶似葵，每茎三叶，一
本十数茎，中发一秆，其端开花，如葱花、景天辈而色白；根似防风，香味亦如之。依时采
者，乃沉水。陶隐居云∶与野狼毒同根，但置水不沉耳。今乃用枯朽野狼毒当之，极为谬矣。三
月三日采。六月开花即结实。采根为药。
\r蓍实\ph103.bmp\r，生少室山谷，今蔡州上蔡县白龟祠旁。其生如蒿，作丛。高五、
六尺，一本一、二十
茎，至多者三、五十茎，生便条直，所以异于众蒿也。秋后有花，出于枝端，红紫色，形如
菊；八月、九月采其实，日干入药。今医家亦稀用。其茎为筮，以问鬼神，知吉凶，故圣人
赞之，谓之神物。《史记龟策传》曰∶龟千岁乃游于莲叶之上。蓍百茎共一根。又其所生，
兽无虎野狼，虫无毒螫。徐广注曰∶刘向云龟千岁而灵，蓍百年而一本生百茎。又褚先生云∶
蓍生满百茎者，其下必有神龟守之，其上常有青云覆之。传曰∶天下和平，王道得，而着茎
长丈，其丛生满百茎。方今世取蓍者，不能中古法度，不能得满百茎，长丈者。取八十茎以
上，蓍长八尺，即难得也。民众好用卦者，取满六十茎以上，长满六尺者，即可用矣。今蔡
州所上者，皆不言如此。然则此类其神物乎？故不常有也。
防葵，生长在临淄川谷以及嵩山、少室山、泰山一带。苏恭说：襄阳、望楚、山东以及兴州西部也有出产。其中兴州采得的，胜过南方的，因为那里靠近蜀地土壤的缘故。只是听说产自襄阳，其他郡县没听说过有出产。它的叶子像葵菜，每根茎长三片叶子，一株植物有十几根茎，中间发出一根花秆，顶端开花，形状像葱花、景天类植物但颜色是白色的；根部像防风，香味也类似。按时令采收的，放入水中会下沉。陶隐居说：防葵与野狼毒同根，只是放在水里不沉罢了。现在有人用枯朽的野狼毒来冒充防葵，这是非常错误的。三月三日采收。六月开花结果实。采集根部入药。
蓍实，生长在少室山谷，现在的蔡州上蔡县白龟祠旁边。它生长起来像蒿草，成丛生长。高五、六尺，一株有一、二十根茎，最多的有三、五十根茎，生下来就枝条笔直，所以与众多的蒿草不同。秋天之后开花，花朵从枝头长出，呈红紫色，形状像菊花；八月、九月采集它的果实，晒干后入药。现在的医生也很少使用。它的茎用来占卜，以询问鬼神，预知吉凶，所以圣人称赞它，称它为神物。《史记·龟策传》说：乌龟活到一千岁才在莲叶上游动。一百根蓍草共用一根主根。另外它所生长的地方，野兽中没有老虎和野狼，昆虫中没有有毒刺的。徐广注释说：刘向说乌龟活到一千岁而有灵性，蓍草长一百年才长出一株并生出百根茎。还有褚先生说：蓍草长满一百根茎的，下面一定有神龟守护它，上面常有青云覆盖它。传说说：天下和平，王道得到施行，那么蓍草茎长一丈，丛生满一百根茎。当今世上采集蓍草的人，不能遵循中古的法度，不能得到满一百根茎、长一丈的。取八十根茎以上，蓍草长八尺，就已经很难得了。民众喜欢用卦占卜的，取满六十根茎以上，长度满六尺的，就可以使用了。现在蔡州进贡的，都没有提到这些情况。既然这样，那么这类蓍草难道是神物吗？所以不常出现。
Fang Kui (Radix Anemones Raddeanae), grows in the valleys of Linzi, as well as around Song Mountain, Shaoshi Mountain, and Mount Tai. Su Gong stated: It is also found in Xiangyang, Wangchu, Shandong, and the western part of Xingzhou. Those harvested in Xingzhou are superior to those from the south, due to the soil being close to that of Shu. However, it is only reported to originate from Xiangyang; other commanderies do not report its presence. Its leaves resemble those of Malva (Malva verticillata); each stem bears three leaves, with a single plant having dozens of stems. From the center emerges one flowering stalk, bearing flowers at the tip that resemble Allium fistulosum (Scallion) or Sedum species, but white in color; the root resembles Saposhnikovia divaricata (Fangfeng), and its fragrance is similar. Harvested according to the proper season, it sinks in water. Tao Hongjing stated: Fang Kui shares the same root origin as Potentilla anserina var. silvestris (Yelangdu), but does not sink when placed in water. Currently, people use rotten Potentilla anserina var. silvestris to substitute for it, which is extremely erroneous. Harvest on the third day of the third lunar month. Flowers appear in the sixth lunar month and subsequently bear fruit. The roots are collected for medicinal use.
Shi Shi (Fructus Achilleae Millefolii), grows in the valleys of Shaoshi Mountain, currently near the White Turtle Shrine in Shangcai County, Caizhou. It grows like Artemisia species (Ai), forming clumps. It reaches a height of five to six chi, with a single plant producing ten to twenty stems, and up to thirty or fifty stems in maximum cases. The stems grow straight from birth, distinguishing them from other Artemisia species. Flowers appear after autumn, emerging from the tips of branches, colored red-purple, and shaped like Chrysanthemum morifolium (Juhua). The fruits are harvested in the eighth and ninth lunar months, dried in the sun, and used in medicine. Physicians nowadays rarely use it. Its stems were used for divination to inquire of spirits and deities regarding good or bad fortune, hence sages praised it, calling it a divine object. The "Records of the Grand Historian: Biography of Tortoise Diviners" states: A tortoise lives for a thousand years before swimming on lotus leaves. One hundred stems of Achillea millefolium share a single root. Furthermore, in the places where it grows, there are no tigers or wild wolves among beasts, nor venomous stinging insects among bugs. Xu Guang's annotation states: Liu Xiang said that a tortoise is spiritual after a thousand years, and Achillea millefolium takes a hundred years to produce one plant bearing a hundred stems. Additionally, Mr. Chu stated: Where Achillea millefolium has a hundred stems, there must be a divine tortoise guarding it below, and often green clouds covering it above. The tradition says: When the world is peaceful and the Kingly Way is attained, the stems of Achillea millefolium grow to one zhang in length, with a dense cluster of a hundred stems. In the current era, collectors of Achillea millefolium cannot follow the methods of ancient times and cannot obtain plants with a hundred stems and a length of one zhang. Obtaining eighty stems or more, with the plant reaching eight chi in length, is already rare. Among the populace who favor using hexagrams for divination, obtaining sixty stems or more, with a length of six chi, is sufficient for use. The specimens presented from Caizhou today do not mention such characteristics. If so, are these types of plants indeed divine objects? Hence, they are not commonly found.