Polygalaceae

The Polygalaceae family are made up of flowering plants in the order Fabales, with about 27 genera and ca. 900 known species of herbs, shrubs, and trees. Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (Polygalaceae), also known as Yuan Zhi, has been reported to be enriched with triterpene saponins, onjisaponins and polygalasaponins, and it also exhibits protective effects on the central nervous system and is frequently used to treat memory dysfunction, insomnia and neurasthenia.