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The Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum) belongs to Liliaceae (the Lily family). It is a perennial herb that is native throughout Japan, as well as Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and China. This herb grows in mountain and field grasslands, and can reach 30-60 cm in height. The stem is ridged, and the leaves are oblong to narrow oblong and arranged in alternate. The 1-2 white tubular flowers bloom descending at the axils from April to May. The young shoots and the columnar rootstocks are used as food. The top five and 12-13rd, 17th, 20-22nd photos show the horticultural variety 'Variegatum'. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "萎蕤" and "玉竹" (yu zhu) in Chinese.
In Korean, it is called "dung-gul-le" (둥굴레). While there are various theories regarding the origin of this name, the most widely accepted one is that it comes from the shape of the rhizome, which resembles a "round bit" (둥근굴레). Tea made from this rhizome, which is dried and roasted, is called "Solomon's seal tea" (둥굴레차) and has become a staple traditional tea in Korea.
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