Rui Ren (Prinsepia Seed)
Rui Ren (Prinsepia Seed) (Heart-shaped, light brown, with clear reticulate grooves, a hard, flat seed)
[Name]
[Source]
Shen Nong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Ben Jing) – Upper Grade
[Frequency of Use]
E
[Botanical Origin]
The dried ripe fruit kernel (seed with inner pericarp) of Prinsepia uniflora Batal., a plant in the Rosaceae family.
[Characteristics]
The fruit kernel is slightly flattened and heart-shaped. Its surface is light brown to dark brown, with distinct, dark-colored reticulate grooves. The texture is hard. When the hard shell is cracked open, it contains a flat, roundish seed, approximately 6mm long, with two white, thick, oily cotyledons. It has no odor and a slightly bitter taste.
[Identification]
The best quality has a light brown color, is plump and full, and has a hard texture.
[Category]
Seeds