Catalogues the 200 species of medicinal plants most commonly used in traditional Vietnamese medicine. The book, which has been translated from the original Vietnamese, was produced in an effort to communicate knowledge about herbal medicine that has accumulated over thousands of years, has been confirmed through both empirical experience and scientific evaluation, and yet has rarely been published outside the Vietnamese literature. The book also responds to increasing respect for the value of medicinal plants as a source of efficacious and inexpensive new drugs that offer an important alternative to chemically synthesized medicines.

The book has three main parts. The first part describes research in Viet Nam conducted on medicinal plants in line with the national policy of developing a system of medicine and pharmacy that integrates the modern and traditional systems. The second part, which constitutes the core of the book, describes and illustrates the 200 most valuable species of wild and cultivated medicinal plants in Viet Nam. Each plant species is first documented by a full colour drawing illustrating the plant's distinctive features and natural colours. Explanatory notes for each species provide a concise description of the plant and give local names, flowering period, geographical distribution, parts used, chemical composition, and therapeutic uses. Information on indications and dosage is also provided.

To facilitate retrieval of information, the third part indexes plant species according to botanical name, Vietnamese name, and English name.