巴戟天是常用中藥之一，具有補腎壯陽，強筋健骨，袪風濕之功能，現代藥理証實巴戟天具有提高機體免疫力，調整內分泌功能的作用。巴戟天為茜草科植物巴戟Morindaofficinalis How.的根，其混淆品有羊角藤Morinda umbellta L.及恩施巴戟(虎刺Damnacanthus indicusc L.及四川虎刺Damnacanthus officinarum Huang)等。本計畫於台北及高雄地區採逢機取樣方式價購了巴戟天計30 件檢體。此30 件檢體經性狀特徵及組織切片鏡檢，並與對照藥材及文獻比對，確認30 件為正品巴戟天。

Pa-chi-tien (Morindae Radix), commonly abbreviated as Pa-chi (巴吉), has been widely used for millennia as a type of traditional Chinese medicine. The traditional usage indicates that it could warm kidney, supplementing male potency, and strengthen muscles and bones. The root of Modinda officinalis How (巴戟㆝) (Rubiaceae) is adopted as the authentic origin of Morindae Radix. In order to clarify the botanical origins of the marketed raw materials in Taiwan, we collected three samples with similar appearancesincluding the root of Morinda unbellta L. (羊角藤), Damnacanthus indicusc L. (恩施巴戟), and Damnacanthus officinarim Hiang (㆕川虎刺) as the reference specimens. Thirty samples were compared to the Pa-chi-tien and the above reference specimens by pharmacognosy study and chemical identification. In this investigation, all the samples were identified as Modinda officinalis How (巴戟㆝).