Abstract: In Early Chinese Phatmacopoeias o' Herbals many medicinal Artemisia, which named "Ai" or "Hao" in Chinese, had been introduced. But they hadn't scientific nomenclatures, in which so much were confused. According to the examinations, "Bai-Hao" (white Artemisia, terrestrial) (Tab. 1:3.5:1), "Ai" (Tab. 6:3, 4), "Bai-Ai" (Tab. 2:1), "Ai-Hao", "Ye-Ai-Hao" (wild Artemisia) (Tab. 5:3, 4) from "Shen Nong Bencao Jing" (Shen Nong's Canon of Materia Medica, about 100-180 A. D., SNCMM), Su Jing, "Tang Xin Xiu Bencao" (The Official Pharmacopoeia in Tang Dynasty, 659 A. D., TOP), Tang Shen-wei, "Zheng Lei Bencao" (revised) (Classified Materia Medica, revised 1249 A. D., CLMM), even in Li Shi-zhen, "Bencao Gan Mu" (Compendium of Materia Medica, 1596 A. D., CMM) and Wu Qi-jun, "Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tucao" (Illustrated Handbook of Plants, 1848, IHP) are the compound names of the species of Artemisia L., which included A. Argyi Lèvl. & Van. and its allies——A. lavandulaefolia DC., A. verlolorum Lamotte, A. mongolica (Fisch. ex Bess.) Nakai, A. leucophylla Turcz. ex Bess., A. igniaria Maxim., A. verbenacea (Komar.) Kitag., A. indica Willd. and A. princeps Pamp. etc. All of them have the similar characters, such as leaves 1-2-pinnately parted or divided, with white arachnoid hairs at abaxial surface and with similar properties and functi-ons for the drugs. Besides, they distribute mainly in the central and lower valleys of the Huang and Yangtze Rivers. But "Bai-Hao" named in Ai Cheng, "Da Guang Bencao" (Pharmacopoeia in Da Guang of Song Dynasty, 1108 A. D., PDG) should be A. sacrorum Ledeb., and that named in Zhu Su, "Jiu Huang Bencao" (Herbals for foods, 1588 A. D., HF) should be A. scoparia Waldst. & Kit. (Tab.5:2) Besides, "Ai-Ye", "Jia-Ai" (family Artemisia), "Qi-Ai" in above herbals are the same, which was named A. argyi Lévl. & Van. cv. qiai. Most of "Bai-Hao" (white Artemisia, watery), "Shui-Hao" (watery Artemisia), "Liu-Ye-Hao", (Tab. 6:2), "Lou-Hao" (Tab.6:1) and "Lu-hao", are A. selengensis Turcz. ex Bess. and its variety-var. shansiensis Y. R. Ling, in which it's serrulateless along leaf-margine."Liu-Wei-Hao" in CMM and in IHP are both two species of Artemisia L.——A. dubia Wall. ex Bess. (Tab. 7:1) and A. lancea Van. (Tab. 7:2)."Cao-Hao", "Qing-Hao", (Tab. 2:4, 7:4), except a part of the species with yellowish and greenish florets, "Huang-Hua-Hao" (Tab. 1:1, 7:3), "Xiang-Hao" (fragrant Artemisia), "Chou-Hao" (stink Artemisia), "Xun-Hao", all are Artemisia annua L. Only a part of "Qing-Hao", with yellowish or greenish florets, perhaps is A. carvifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb. (——A. apiacea Hance), which is different from the medicinal "Qing-Hao"——A. annua L. But the species of "Qing-Hao" and "Huang-Hua-Hao" in CMM and IHP (Tab. 1:1, 2:4, 7:3, 4) are the same, A. annua L., in which, as fact. sa-called "Qing-Hao" (Tab. 2:4, 7:4) were confuced by A. annua L. with the insect-galls on the leaves, branches and stem, to A. carvifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb., which is so-called "Qing-Hao" in HF and in Bao Shan's "Ye Cai Bo Lu" (Herbals for vegetables, 1622 A. D., HV) (Tab.8:2) are different from the species in CMM and IHP (Tab. 3:3, 8:1).It's A. carvifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb. in HF and HV, and it's perhaps Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson with umbel inflorescences in CMM and IHP. "Yin-Chen-Hao", incl. "Xi-Yin-Chen" (from the west), "Bei-Yin-Chen"(from the north), "Shan-Yin-Chen" (from the wild), "Shi-Yin-Chen"(from the stony areas), "Mian-Yin-Chen" (tomentose), "Gia-Yin-Chen" (from family), "Peng-Hao", "Ye-Ton-Hao" (Tab. 9:1, 2), "Zi-Xiang-Hao" (Tab.8:4), most of them are A. capillaris Thunb. and A. scoparia Waldst. et Kit. Both are the well-known drugs in common use, curing the hepatitis and cholecystitis. But the species of a part of "Yin-Chen" (Tab. 2:2, 8:3), which were in CMM and IHP, and in Han Bao-sheng, "Shu Bencao"(Herbals in Sichuan, 934 A. D.) are A. sacrorum Ledeb. and in CLMM so-called "Jiangninfu Yin-Chen" (Tab. 4:4) is Mentha haplocalyx Briq. "Mu-Hao" (Tab. 4:2, 9:3), "Qi-Tou-Hao", "Shui-La-Cai" in TOP, CMM, IHP and other herbals are all Artemisia japonica Thunb. "An-Lü", "An-Lü-Hao" have been considered A. keiskeana Miq. But in CMM and IHP, "An-Lü" (Tab. 3:2, 9:4) should be A. indica Willd. "Liu-Ji-Nu", "Jin-Ji-Nu" in TOP should A. anomala S. Moore. But the original species in CMM and a part of the species in IHP (Tab. 3:4, 10:1) should be Eupatorium japonicum Thunb. or E. Chinese L. and another species, in IHP (Tab. 10:5) should be Artemisia lactiflora Wall, ex DC.
Besides, there are some so-called "Ai" or "Hao", which do not belong to Artemisia L., but other genera of Compositae or other families in the herbals, for examples, "Qiang-Nian-Ai"(Tab. 2:3, 10:3)——Crossostephium Chinese (Linn.) Makino ex Cham. & Schlecht.; "Ton-Hao" (Tab. 3:1, 10:4)——Chrysanthemum coronarium L. var. spatiosum Bailey; "Tie-Gan-Hao" (Tab. 11:1)——Kalimeris integrifolia Turcz.; "Lin-Hao", "E-Hao" and "Luo-Hao"(Tab. 1:4, 11:2)——Descurainia Sophia (L.) Webb; "Ma-Xian- Hao", "Jiao-Hao"(Tab. 1:2, 4:1)——Incarvillea sinensis Lam.