Bletilla striata

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f.

Photo powo.science.kew.org

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f. Photo by 蘇清記

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f. Photo by Demos Tsormpatzoglou

Latin Name: 

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f.

Synonym Name: 

Limodorum striatum Thunberg; Bletia gebina Lindley; Bletia hyacinthina (Smith) Aiton; Bletia hyacinthina var. gebina (Lindley) Blume; Bletia striata (Thunberg) Druce; Bletilla elegantula (Kraenzlin) Garay & Romero; Bletilla gebina (Lindley) H. G. Reichenbach; Bletilla hyacinthina (Smith) H. G. Reichenbach; Bletilla striata var. albomarginata Makino; Bletilla striata f. gebina (Lindley) Ohwi; Bletilla striata var. gebina (Lindley) H. G. Reichenbach; Calanthe gebina (Lindley) Lindley; Coelogyne elegantula Kraenzlin; Cymbidium hyacinthinum Smith; C. striatum (Thunberg) Swartz; Epidendrum striatum (Thunberg) Thunberg; Jimensia nervosa Rafinesque, nom. illeg. superfl.; Jimensia striata (Thunberg) Garay & R. E. Schultes; Limodorum hyacinthinum (Smith) Donn.

Family: 

Orchidaceae; 

Genus: 

Bletilla

Common names: 

bletilla, Chinese ground orchid, hardy orchid, hyacinth bletilla, hyacinth orchid, common Bletilla, ground Orchid (English); bai ji 白及 (Chinese); jaran (Korean); orchidée jacinthe (French); shiran (Japanese); bletilla (Italian); bletilla, orquídeas urna (Spanish); Bletilla, Japanorchidee, Garten- orchidee, Chinaorchidee, Hyazinthenorchis (German), Bạch cập, Liên cập thảo (Vietnam).

Description: 

The Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Rchb.f. (1878) is an herbaceous terrestrial species, cespitose, deciduous, with sub-globose underground pseudobulbs of 1 to 3 cm of diameter, erect stem tall up to 25 cm, enclosed below by imbricate sheaths, with 4-6 leaves from oblong to lanceolate, plicate, of a bright green colour, 8-40 cm long and 2-5 cm broad, with pointed apex. Terminal inflorescences on a 12-30 cm long, erect, peduncle, racemose, carrying 3-10 flowers with oblong sepals with pointed apex, 1,5-3 cm long and about 0,5 cm broad, of mauve pink colour, petals similar to sepals, but broader, 0,5-1 cm, and tri-lobed labellum with purple venations, 1,5-3,5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad, with lateral erect lobes and median lobe with wrinkled margins, crossed from the base to the apex by 5 lamellae, waved in the terminal part; the column, slightly winged on the sides, is 1,5-2 cm long. A white flower variety does exist. It usually reproduces by division by the end of the resting time. Flowering: April to May, fruiting: July to September.

Distribution: 

Growing in mountains, or humid places of valleys. Distributed in East, South-central and Southwest China, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Taiwan and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Henan, Zhejiang and Shaanxi.

Part Used: 

Medical part: rhizome. Chinese name: Baiji.

Harvest & Processing: 

Removed withered stem, fibrous root, clean soil, steam stem until no white part the inner side, then removed the bark, sun-dried or baked to dry or removed foreign matters, immersed with water, taken out, proper dried, sliced and sun-dried.

Chemistry: 

Contains glycosides, bibenzyls, quinones, stilbene, anthocyanins, biphenanthrenes, dihydrophenanthrenes, steroids, triterpenoids, phenolic acids and phenanthrenes compounds. hexacosanoic alcohol 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzol)-trans-acryliceylenate, physcion and cyclobalanol.

Pharmacology: 

Hemostatic, gastric-mucosa-protecting, anti-bacteria, antioxidation and anti-tumor. Properties of hemostasis and wound healing, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial activities

Properties & Actions: 

Bitter, sweet, harsh, little cold. Inducing astringency to arrest bleeding; dispersing swelling and promoting tissue regeneration.

Indications & Usage: 

Empsyxis, hematemesis, non-traumatic hemorrhage, hemafecia, traumatic hemorrhage, anthracia and swelling caused by toxicity, scalding and scorching injuries, rhagadia manus et pedis, anal fissures. Prohibited to patients with diseases caused by exogenous pathogenic factors and internal heat. Internal: decocting, 3-10g; powdered, 1.5-3g. External: appropriate amount, powdered and scattered, or triturated for application.

Examples:      

1. Treat empsyxis due to tracheaectasy or lung tuberculosis: bletillae rhizoma, cuttlebone and Pseudo‐ginseng 180g each, grind together into fine powder, take 9g each time, 3 times a day.

2. Treat persistent epistaxis: common bletilla as powder, prepare and smear onto shangen acupoint, hemorrhage will stop immediately.

3. Treat gastric and intestinal hemorrhage: common bletilla and duyu in equal amounts. Parch and grind into fine powder. Take 3g each time with warm boiled water, 2-3 times a day.

References

- Chinese Medicinal Material Images Database

- efloras.org

- Theplantlist

- Wang LX, Han GX, Shu Y, Liu WY, Zhang WD; Studies on chemical constituents of Bletilla striata (Thunb) Reichb. f.; Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2001; 26 (10):690-2.

- Xu D, Pan Y, Chen J.; Chemical Constituents, Pharmacologic Properties, and Clinical Applications of Bletilla striata; Front Pharmacol. 2019 Nov 1;10:1168