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The Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) belongs to the family Schisandraceae. It is a deciduous woody vine that is distributed northward from Chubu district to Hokkaido in Japan, as well as the Korean peninsula, and northeastern, northern, and central China. This vine grows in forest floors and edges. It is dioecious. The pale yellowish white flowers bloom from May to June. The racemose round berries ripen red in September to October. The fruits are called "Wu wei zi" and used as Chinese herbal medicine for antiussive or expectorant. It is called "五味子" (wu wei zi) in Chinese.
In Korean, it's called "o-mi-ja" (오미자). It was named because a single fruit contains all five tastes: sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and salty. In Korea, "Omija tea" (o-mi-ja-cha: 오미자차), a traditional tea made from dried omija fruit, is widely enjoyed.
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