Objective: To elucidate the names of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) of Astragali Radix through the textual research for the literal meaning of Astragali Radix. Method: Dictionaries of the Han dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties and ancient Chinese herbal medicine books were retrieved for the textual research of the meaning and origin of name of Astragali Radix. Result: Old radical of Qi refers to the names of Chinese herbal medicine Astragali Radix in the ancient TCM books

while grass radical of Qi refers to the TCM names of Astragali Radix in the modern books. Grass radical of Qi was interpreted as Qimu

and is now interpreted as TCM Anemarrhenae Rhizoma but not TCM Astragali Radix in Shuowen Jiezi

Yupian

Guangyun

Jiyun

Leipian and Zihui. In the Ming dynasty dictionary Zhengzitong

grass radical of Qi was interpreted as TCM Astragali Radix. Grass radical of Qi was interpreted as TCM Astragali Radix and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma in Kangxi Zidian and Hanyu Dacidian. LI Zhong-li of the Ming dynasty specially pointed out that it was wrong to write old radical of Qi as grass radical of Qi in his book of Zhengzitong. It suggested that the glyph of grass radical of Qi started to be used in the Ming dynasty. Old radical of Qi was interpreted as long in all of the previous dictionaries

and expressed its botanical morphological characteristic. Therefore

the name of old radical of Qi is consistent with the naming habit of Chinese herbal medicine. Conclusion: The herbal contents of ancient documents and Chinese herbal medicine books are compared to illuminate the literal meaning

distinguish clearly the relationship between the literal meaning and the TCM names

find out the reasons for changing the name of Astragali Radix

and provide the reference value for consulting ancient documents in the study of Chinese herbal medicine books.