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The Jiuhuang bencao 救荒本草 "Roots and Herbs for Disaster Relief" is a medical encyclopedia written by the early Ming period 明 (1368-1644) scholar Zhu Su 朱橚, Prince of Zhou 周王, who was a son of Emperor Taizu 明太祖 (r. 1368-1398). Zhu Su was very interested in pharmacology and medicine. His book is 4 juan "scrolls" long (originally 2, but there were also versions of 8 juan length) and was printed in 1406. In 5 parts, it describes 414 kinds of pharmaceutical plants, of which 80 are trees, 20 grains, 23 fruits, 46 edible plants, and the 245 remaining other various herbs. The book in total has been included in Xu Guangqi's 徐光啟 encyclopedia Nongzheng quanshu 農政全書, in the section Huangzheng 荒政 "Disaster relief". In 1959 the Zhonghua shuju 中華書局 published it separately in a modern edition.
Source: Zhao Hankun 趙含坤 (2005). Zhongguo leishu 中國類書, pp. 195-196. Shijiazhuang: Hebei renmin chubanshe.
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