ginseng

A plant, of the genus Panax, the root of which is in great demand among the Chinese. It is found in the Northern parts of Asia and America, and is an article of export from America to China. It has a jointed, fleshy, taper root, as large as a man’s finger, which when dry is of a yellowish white color, with a mucilaginous sweetness in the taste, somewhat resembling that of liquorice, accompanied with a slight bitterness.