Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.

(Photography by Guo ZJ, text by Wang XM, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China)

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. is a deciduous woody vine, and belongs to the Schisandraceae family. This species is a horticultural plant with edible fruit. It is used medicinally and for making rope. It is distributed in Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Shanxi provinces of China, and in Japan and Korea. During recent decades, it has been found to be effective in liver damage, anti-ulcer, sedative, enhance immunity, antihypertensive etc. The bioactive components separated from its fruit contain organic acids and lignans.