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Currently, Morinda is used as the dried root of the India Madder Root family plant Morinda officinalis How, mainly produced in Gaoyao, Deqing, Yunan, Lubu in Guangdong; Cangwu, Baise, Pingle, Hexian in Guangxi; and Pinghe, Yong'an in Fujian, among other places.

Materia medica research suggests that from the Han to the Qing dynasty, the medicinal Morinda was always considered best when produced in Sichuan. Its original plant was likely the Sichuan Indian Damnacanthus Herb Damnacanthus officinarum of the India Madder Root family. Over the past century, the Guangdong-produced Morinda officinalis of the same family has gradually dominated the market. Due to the promotion by the national pharmacopoeia, this plant has become the only official medicinal Morinda, while the Sichuan Morinda has faded into obscurity.

bubble_chart Varietal Identification and Geographical Evolution

Regarding the original plant of materia medica Morinda, modern botanists have significant disagreements. According to Mr. Xie Zongwan's summary, there are roughly the following views: the Milkwort Root family plant Polygala reinii Franch. et Sav., the Scrophularia Root family plant Bacopa monniera Wettst, the India Madder Root family plant Damnacanthus indicus Gaertn. var. gigantea Nakai or Damnacanthus indicus Gaertn. var. major Makino, the Orchid family plant Spiranthes spiralis Makino, the Peking Euphorbia Root family plant Euphorbia chamaesyce Gaertn. or Euphorbia chamaesyce Gaertn. var. major Makino or Euphorbia chamaesyce Gaertn. var. gigantea Nakai, among others. Around 1958, Professor Hou Kuanzhao, through an investigation of commercially available medicinal materials, concluded that the original plant of Morinda was Morinda officinalis How of the India Madder Root family and its variant Morinda officinalis How var. hirsuta. This was considered a conclusive opinion and was adopted by the Zhongguo Yaodian. However, despite this, Hou's conclusion was questioned in the 1980s, with some scholars suggesting that the Magnolia family plant Schisandra propinqua (Wall.) Baill. var. sinensis Oliv. and the India Madder Root family plant Damnacanthus officinarum Huang from Sichuan might be closer to the ancient Morinda varieties. These issues require specific analysis.

（1）The medicinal and botanical characteristics of ancient Morinda

Morinda is used for its roots. Bielu states, "Harvest the roots in February and August, and dry them in the shade." Tao Hong-jing further supplements the description of the roots: "They resemble peonies but are finer, red on the outside and black on the inside. When used, the core is removed." The "Xin Xiu" mentions: "The roots are like connected beads; the more there are, the better. Old roots are green, while young roots are white and purple, and they are used in the same way. Those with thick, bead-like flesh are superior." The "Rihuazi Bencao" says: "They are purple in color, like small prayer beads, with small holes, and are hard to pound." By this point, the three criteria for identifying Morinda medicinal material are fully established: the roots are bead-like; the woody core can be removed; and the skin is purple.

The Song Dynasty materia medica placed particular emphasis on these three characteristics. The "Tujing" states: "The roots are collected in February and August, dried in the shade, and nowadays often baked. Those with perennial roots are green, while those with tender roots are white; both are used similarly, with the preference for those with thick, bead-like flesh. Nowadays, practitioners often consider the purple ones to be of good quality. People from Shu say that there are no purple ones there; when people from that region harvest them, they sometimes boil them with black soybeans to make them purple, which significantly alters their flavor and should be particularly noted. Another theory suggests that in Shu, there is a type of mountain root that resembles Morinda but is white. Locals harvest it and boil it with vinegar to turn it purple, mixing it with Morinda, making it indistinguishable. True Morinda with tender roots is also white, and when dried, it is boiled to turn purple, but it is weak and should not be used. Nowadays, both types are found in the market, but when broken open, the ones that are purple and fresh are fake. The genuine ones, when broken open, are purple but also have a slight white, powdery appearance, with a slightly dull texture." The "Bencao Yanyi" says: "Morinda originally has a core, which occasionally falls off when dried, or can be pulled out, so the center may be hollow, not naturally having a small hole. Nowadays, people who want the center to be purple often fake it by soaking it in soybean juice, which must be carefully observed. The outside is hard to dye, so the center is dyed purple first." These three characteristics can also be proven in Song Dynasty medical records, such as the "Furen Daquan Liangfang," which requires "selecting purple Morinda as the best, soaked in water to soften." The "Boji Fang" frequently uses "purple Morinda" and requires "removing the core," also called "pierced Morinda." As for the method of removing the core, the texts mention "knocking out the core" or "pounding out the core." Additionally, the occasional use of "white Morinda" is seen in the "Furen Daquan Liangfang," but it is unclear whether this refers to the true Morinda with tender white roots as mentioned in the "Tujing" or the mountain root that resembles Morinda.

Generally speaking, ancient physicians and materia medica experts had a much better understanding of medicinal materials than of the original plants, and this is especially true for Morinda. The three criteria for medicinal materials mentioned above are still in use today, while the descriptions of the Morinda plant by materia medica experts are contradictory.

The "Xinxiu" states: "Morinda seedlings, commonly known as three-vine grass, have leaves similar to tea leaves, and do not wither in winter." Regarding "three-vine grass," Li Shizhen said, "the name is quite incomprehensible," while modern people interpret it as having three small leaves, and "leaves similar to tea leaves" likely refers to a leathery texture. The "Zhenglei" contains two illustrations of Morinda, "Guizhou Morinda" and "Chuzhou Morinda" (Figure 1), which are quite different. The Guizhou variety has alternate leaves, pinnate compound leaves with 3-5 leaflets, while the Chuzhou variety resembles a monocotyledon. The "Tujing" also suggests there are two types of Morinda. Su Song said: "Nowadays, it is also found in the regions of Jiang, Huai, He, and Dong, but those from Shu are considered the best. The leaves are similar to tea leaves and do not wither in winter, commonly known as three-vine grass, also called evergreen grass, often growing in bamboo forests. Those grown inland have leaves similar to Ophiopogon Tuber but thicker and larger, bearing fruit in autumn."

The "Chuzhou Morinda" in the illustration was identified by Nakao Manzo as the orchid species Spiranthes spiralis. Since Chuzhou is rarely mentioned in later texts except in the "Ming Yitong Zhi" (Volume 18) as a local product, it is likely not the genuine article, but this theory is tentatively preserved. In contrast, "Guizhou Morinda," located in present-day western Hubei, adjacent to Sichuan and Chongqing, is considered by most researchers to be the genuine ancient Morinda. However, due to the simplicity of the illustrations and descriptions, there is no consensus on exactly which plant it is.

(2) Sichuan-produced Morinda

Morinda is named after its place of origin. The Bencao Jing records its origin as "growing in the valleys of Bajun and Xiapi." The Huayang Guozhi·Ba Zhi states that in the Ba region, "among the unique medicinal plants is Morinda pepper." Zuo Si's "Ode to the Capital of Shu" further narrows the origin of Morinda to the northeastern part of present-day Sichuan, stating: "To the east lies Zuomian Bazhong, filled with the Bai Pu people. Externally, it bears the Tongliang and Dangtu Langqu mountains; internally, it encompasses vital areas within fertile lands. Among them are Bashu and Bajin, as well as the sacred longevity peach branches."

The authentic advantages of Sichuan-produced Morinda have extended from the Han Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the "Qianjin Yifang·Yaochu Zhoutu Ji" recorded that Morinda was produced in Shizhou, Meizhou, and Longzhou. The "Taiping Huanyu Ji" documented that Jianzhou Puan County, Guozhou Nanchong County, Bazhou Qinghua County, Kuizhou Yun'an County, Zhongzhou Nanbin County, and Jiezhou Wudu County all produced Morinda. Except for Jiezhou, which is now in Gansu, the rest are in the current Sichuan and Chongqing regions. The "Yuanfeng Jiuyu Zhi" Volume 8 specifically mentions that Jianzhou Puan County offered ten catties of Bajitian as tribute, and Jianzhou Puan County is now Jian'ge County in Sichuan. The "Ming Yitong Zhi" still records that Jianzhou produced Bajitian. The "Sichuan Tongzhi" revised during the Qing Yongzheng period records that Bazhou, Jianzhou, Guangyuan under Baoning Prefecture, and Kuizhou Prefecture all produced Morinda, and the "Sichuan Tongzhi" revised during the Jiaqing period is similar. However, the Morinda officinalis of the India Madder Root family used today is mainly distributed in Guangdong and Guangxi, which is clearly different from the ancient varieties used.

The most regrettable thing is that since the popularity of Bajitian produced in Guangdong and Guangxi, Sichuan Morinda has gradually disappeared, and we can only make a rough speculation about the varieties based on the local usage in Sichuan during the late Qing and Republic of China periods. According to the "Chengdu Tonglan" published in the late Qing Dynasty, its section "Local Products of Chengdu and Its Subordinates" records the medicinal materials produced in various counties of Sichuan Province in great detail, but does not mention the name Morinda. However, under the section "Names of Herbal Medicines in Chengdu," there are two items: "Fragrant Bajitian" and "Bitter Bajitian." According to the late Qing Dynasty's "Tianbao Materia Medica," the entry for "Tu Bajitian" states: "Tu Bajitian is slightly warm in nature, strengthening sinews and invigorating bones, and replenishing essence. It treats women's red and white dysentery and stops seminal emission and abdominal pain." These various Bajitian labeled as "fragrant," "bitter," and "tu" may be related to Sichuan-produced Bajitian.

Tu Bajitian is the root of the Akebia Stem family plant, Akebia trifoliate (Thunb.) Koidz. var. australis (Diels) Rehd. This plant has three small leaves, which matches the alias "San Man Cao" in "Xin Xiu." The root is not purple and does not appear bead-like, which is probably the Shanlü root mentioned in "Bencao Tujing" as a counterfeit of Morinda. Su Song said: "There is another kind of Shanlü root in Sichuan, which looks exactly like Bajitian, but is white. Locals collect it and boil it in vinegar water to turn it purple, and mix it with Bajitian, making it indistinguishable."

Fragrant Bajitian is Schisandra propinqua (Wall.) Baill. var. sinensis Oliv. of the Magnoliaceae family. Mr. Xu Liguo, in his "Textual Research on Morinda Materia Medica," identified it as the ancient authentic Morinda. However, the characteristics of this plant's root are too far from the three criteria of ancient Bajitian medicinal materials, so it is likely not the correct identification.

In addition, the India Madder Root family plant Damnacanthus officinarum Huang, used as Morinda in Enshi, Hubei, is also considered to be the ancient Morinda. This plant is somewhat similar to the "Guizhou Morinda" depicted in "Zheng Lei." Its root epidermis is dark brown, the cross-section is fleshy, yellowish-white with a slight purple tint, and the medicinal material is distinctly bead-shaped, often with small holes left after removing the woody core. In terms of medicinal characteristics, Sichuan Damnacanthus officinarum is indeed closer to Morinda medicinal materials, and the ancient variety used might have been this species.

(3) Guangdong and Guangxi Morinda

Chen Renshan's "Identification of Medicinal Products" states: "The best Guangdong Bajji is produced in Qingyuan, Sankeng, and Luoding in Guangdong, while those from the lower four prefectures and Nanxiang are of lesser quality. The mountain-grown products from Deqing in the Xijiang region are of quite good quality, and Nanning in Guangxi also produces some." In terms of variety, this is today's India Madder Root, specifically Morinda officinalis. However, it is noteworthy that Chen Renshan explicitly refers to this Morinda as "Guangdong Bajji" in his book. This term might imply a rivalry with Sichuan Bajji, but it certainly does not suggest a replacement. In fact, during the late Qing and Republican periods, medicinal Morinda was still sourced from multiple origins. For example, Zheng Xiaoyan from Fujian, in his 1901 work "Weiyao Tiaobian," wrote: "Morinda from Sichuan is the best, resembling connected beads. Those that break open to reveal a bright purple interior are fake. The genuine ones, though purple inside, have a slight white powdery tint and a slightly dull texture. Recently, some have been using Vietnamese Sophora root to counterfeit, which is white and cold in nature, or boiling it with vinegar to deceive, which can greatly mislead people." Not only did Zheng claim that Sichuan-produced Morinda was superior, but according to the "Medicinal Trade Regulations" of the Xi'an National Medicine Trade Association in 1940, Morinda from Sichuan was still considered the best. Additionally, Cao Bingzhang from Yin County, Zhejiang, in his 1927 supplement to "Weiyao Tiaobian," noted: "Bajji meat from Guangdong is thick, with fine bones, purple color, and a white-black core, which is the best. That from Jiangxi has coarse bones and thin meat, slightly inferior. The product from Ninghai County in Taizhou, Zhejiang, known as 'Lianzhu Bajji,' is also good if it has thick, soft, and glutinous meat with few impurities, and is used after removing the bones."

From this, we believe that Morinda officinalis is a genuine product that has been elevated from local customary use within the last century. The acquisition of its genuine status is greatly related to the promotion by the national pharmacopoeia. However, it is indeed perplexing that the Sichuan Morinda, which has a history of use spanning over a thousand years, has since faded into obscurity.