Abstract: We think that the Chinese pharmaceutical name “qinghao” refers to the plant Artemisia annua, also refers as “huanghuahao”, which is used to extract the antimalarial artemisinin. The Chinese botanical common name “qinghao” refers to an allied species Artemisia carvifolia, which cannot yield artemisinin and is not antimalarial. This botanical name “qinghao” was firstly misused by Japanese scholars, and followed by Chinese scholars. The meaning of Chinese botanical common name “qinghao” cannot be used as evidence to refute the more rigorous studies of original plants of traditional Chinese herbs by Chinese scholars in recent decades.

Key words: Artemisia annua, Artemisia carvifolia, artemisinin, plant name studies