Practical
Plants

Gastrodia elata

Tien Ma

a perennial member of the Gastrodia genus in the family Orchidaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.3 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or roasted[11][5]. Large[5].

Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This species has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for over 1,500 years[8]. The root contains a number of phenolic compounds with medicinal actions[9]. It is a sweet, acrid, herb that is analgesic, anticonvulsive, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, sedative and tonic[2][3][4][8][9]. It is used internally in the treatment of convulsive illnesses (such as epilepsy and tetanus), rheumatoid arthritis, vertigo and numbness associated with liver disharmony[8]. The root is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[8]. The stem is aphrodisiac and tonic[6].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Aphrodisiac
Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Cholagogue
Product or use
Sedative
Product or use
Tonic

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Woods in the mountains of N. Japan[10].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow, preferably as soon as it is ripe, into the plants natural habitat near existing colonies, or onto a bed of Quercus wood inoculated with the fungus Armillaria mellea (introduce this fungus into your land with extreme caution since it kills trees and there is no known preventative[K]). The seed of this species is extremely simple, it has a minute embryo surrounded by a single layer of protective cells. It contains very little food reserves and depends upon a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil-dwelling fungus. The fungal hyphae invade the seed and enter the cells of the embryo. The orchid soon begins to digest the fungal tissue and this acts as a food supply for the plant. Division in autumn. The plant is very intolerant of root disturbance, any moving or dividing should be attempted in the autumn, keep a large ball of soil around the plant[1].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A saprophytic herb, it is without green parts and is entirely dependant upon a fungus for its nutriment[8]. This makes it very difficult to cultivate outside its native range. As well as its fungal host, it also requires a damp humus-rich soil in a sheltered woodland position[8]. The plants are very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to at least -15°c[8]. This plant is becoming increasingly rare in the wild, due to over-collection as a medicinal plant[8]. Methods of cultivating it have now been devised in China[8]. Orchids are, in general, shallow-rooting plants of well-drained low-fertility soils. Their symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil allows them to obtain sufficient nutrients and be able to compete successfully with other plants. They are very sensitive to the addition of fertilizers or fungicides since these can harm the symbiotic fungus and thus kill the orchid[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩

  3. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩

  4. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩

  5. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2

  6. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  7. Cribb. P. & Bailes. C. Hardy Orchids. Orchids for the Garden and Frost-free Greenhouse. Christopher Helm. London. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0 7470 0416 1

    ↩

  8. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  9. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩1↩2

  10. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

Edit this page