Practical
Plants

Pinellia ternata

Ban Xia

a member of the Pinellia genus in the family Araceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Araceae
Height
0.2 m
Spread
0.15 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

The plant is toxic[2]. This report probably refers to the presence of calcium oxylate. This is toxic and if consumed makes the mouth and digestive tract feel as though hundreds of needles are being stuck into it. However, calcium oxylate is easily destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant[3].

Edible uses

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

Root[6]. The tuber is about 12mm in diameter[12]. No more details of edibility are given in these reports but caution is advised since the fresh root is toxic[11]. The toxins can be destroyed by thoroughly drying, or very well cooking the root[K].

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.

The root of ban xia is antiemetic, antiphlogistic, expectorant, febrifuge, sialagogue and styptic. It also strengthens the spleen[2][4][5][7][13]. Modern research has shown that this remedy is very effective in controlling nausea and vomiting[11]. It is also an ingredient of a Chinese prescription for removing gallstones without surgery, a process that usually causes severe nausea[11]. The root is also used internally in the treatment of coughs with thin watery phlegm and gastritis[11]. The fresh root is extremely acrid and contains toxins, these are neutralized upon drying or by soaking in tea or vinegar[11]. The root is harvested in the summer and dried for later use, it should not be used fresh[4][11]. Extracts of the plant have been shown to have analgesic, antiemetic, anticancer and sedative activity[10].

Product or use
Antiemetic
Product or use
Antiphlogistic
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Sialagogue
Product or use
Styptic

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Cultivated fields and roadsides all over Japan[14]. Shady and damp grass thickets on mountain sides and stream edges[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light 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 - we have no information but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of offsets as new growth begins in spring[11]. Bulbils from the leaf axils can be potted up in late summer and be planted out in late spring[11].

Cultivation

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

An easily grown when given a rich soil, it requires plenty of water in the growing season[1]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[8]. This species is cultivated as a medicinal plant in China[7]. Plants produce bulbils in their leaf axils and when growing in suitable conditions can become invasive[8][11]. The plants can be naturalized in woodland[1].

References

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩

  4. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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

    ↩

  11. 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

  12. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

Edit this page