The Collaborative International Dictionary
A quinquefolia
Ginseng \Gin"seng\, n. [Chinese.] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Aralia, the root of which is highly valued as a medicine among the Chinese. The Chinese plant ( Aralia Schinseng) has become so rare that the American ( A. quinquefolia) has largely taken its place, and its root is now an article of export from America to China. The root, when dry, is of a yellowish white color, with a sweetness in the taste somewhat resembling that of licorice, combined with a slight aromatic bitterness.