Common Bletilla Tuber

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi.

Irregular flat spherical shape, with 2~3 claw-like branches, 0.5~1.5cm long, 0.5~1.5cm thick. Externally grayish-white or yellowish-white; presents numerous circular and concentric rings and brown dots of rootlet scars; presents raised stem scars, a scar of connection with another stem on the base. Hard texture, hard to break, off-white fracture surface, horn-like. faint odor; taste bitter, sticky when chewed.

Superior medicinal material is large, full, white, translucent, hard and firm texture.

Bitter, sweet, astringent; slightly cold.

Tonify the lung, stop bleeding, reduces swelling, engenders flesh, astringes core. Applied to empsyxis, non-traumatic hemorrhage, traumatic hemorrhage, anthracia and swelling caused by toxicity, pain due to ulcer, scalding and scorching injuries, rhagadia manus et pedis.

‘Rings’: This refers to the numerous circular, concentric rings that are seen on the outer surface of Bai ji medical material.