Tu Ren Shen

Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn. (Talinaceae), often called fameflower, jewels-of-Opar, or Chinese false ginseng, is a succulent perennial herb 30-100 cm tall growing from a thickened, fleshy, ginseng-like taproot. The smooth, somewhat brittle stems are erect and branched above, bearing alternate, obovate to spatulate, fleshy, glossy-green leaves 4-10 cm long with entire margins. In summer and autumn, slender, much-branched panicles 20-50 cm tall carry tiny, five-petaled, bright pink to magenta flowers that open briefly in the afternoon, followed by small, globose, reddish capsules. Native to tropical and subtropical Americas and widely naturalised in southern China and Southeast Asia, where it is cultivated both as a leafy vegetable and folk medicine. The fleshy root (Tu Ren Shen) is used in TCM as a qi tonic and to nourish the Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys.