Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis is a deciduous woody vine hardy to and is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female, thus both male and female plants must be grown if seeds are desired. It is very tolerant to shade. Its Chinese name comes from the fact that its berries possess all five basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, pungent , and bitter. Sometimes it is more specifically called ''běi wǔ wèi zi'' to distinguish it from another traditionally medicinal schisandraceous plant ''Kadsura japonica'' that grows only in subtropical areas.

Its are used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is considered one of the . They are most often used in dried form, and boiled to make a tea. Medicinally it is used as a tonic and restorative adaptogen with notable clinically documented liver protecting effects. The primary hepatoprotective and immuno-modulating constituents are the lignans schizandrin, deoxyschizandrin, gomisins, and pregomisin, which are found in the seeds of the fruit. It should not be used by pregnant women.

In China, a is made from the berries.

In the berries are known as ''omija'' , and the tea made from the berries is called ''omija cha'' . In , they are called ''gomishi''.

In 1998, Russia released a postage stamp depicting ''S. chinensis''.

Use in traditional Chinese medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine, ''Schisandra chinensis'' is believed to:

#Astringe Lung Qi and nourish the Kidneys
#Restrain the essence and stop Diarrhea--astringe Kidneys
#Arrest excessive sweating from Yin or Yang deficiency
#Calm the Spirit by tonification of Heart and Kidney
#Generate body fluids and alleviate thirst

''Wu wei zi'' is believed to enter the Lung, Heart and Kidney meridians and its properties are considered to be sour and warm. The typical dose is between 1.5 and 9 grams.

Contraindications include: Internal Excess Heat with External Syndrome, early stage cough, rash, rubella, or peptic ulcer, epileptic seizure, hypertension, and intercranial pressure.