[Evolution and quality evaluation of Gardenia jasminoides(Zhizi) of successive ages]

In addition to its frequently-used antipyretic function, Gardenia jasminoides is also used in food or industrial dyeing. In ancient times, herbalists believed that the quality of Gardenia jasminoides for medical use was different from that for dye due to its different germplasm. Since the 1912, Gardenia jasminoides for dye was named "Shui(watery) Zhizi" in order to distinguish it from "Shan (hilly) Zhizi" . Henan was the earliest producing area for Gardenia jasminoides in ancient times, then after the Ming Dynasty, the producing area migrated to the Southern regions, including Jiangxi and Fujian Provinces. Nowadays, both provinces are the main producing area. The ancient herbal books paid great attention to the quality evaluation of officinal Gardenia jasminoides, which was mainly based on its appearance and the quality differences between wild and cultivated varieties. Since modern times, Gardenia jasminoides has been divided into different commodity specification levels according to the producing area, external properties and other elements, and its external properties are consistent with the ancient records. The germplasm, producing area, harvest and quality evaluation of Gardenia jasminoides in the herbal books of successive ages are sorted out, and the division elements of its commercial specification levels analyzed since modern times, thus providing a basis for present study on the commodity specification levels and the grading of the commercial specificity of Gardenia jasminoides.