Abstract:Through a critical study of ancient Chinese herbals,it is concluded that the botanical origin of Guijiu should be Dysosma versipellis or D. pleiantha instead of Sinopodophyllum emodi,and that Xiaoyelian was originated from thelatter. In Chinese Pharmacopoeia and many other haoks,the botanical origin of Xiaoyelian was erroneously re-ferred to as Podophyllum emodi.