Abstract:Fructus Cnidii is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, which is the dried and mature fruit of Cnidium monnieri. The main active compounds in Fructus Cnidii are osthol and other coumarins. Fructus Cnidii was found to have anti-arrhythmia, anti-virus, anti-tumor and many other activities, widely used in the treatment of skin diseases, including vitiligo and psoriasis. Cnidium monnieri has strong adaptability and widely distributes in China, but the quality of Fructus Cnidii from different origins are quite different, so it needs to be checked carefully before used as a medicine. The biological characteristics and identification methods of Fructus Cnidii were reviewed, and the future trend of plant biology research on Fructus Cnidii was prospected.