icon Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f.
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Family Orchidaceae
Description

Perennial herb. Pseudo-bulbs tuberous. Leaves lanceolate, much longitudinal rugose, sessile, base sheath-shaped and clasping, 11-45 cm by 1.5-5 cm, glabrous. Flowers 4-10 in terminal racemes; bracts oblong lanceolate, caducous; flowers rose-red; sepals and petals narrow elliptic; labellum obovate elliptic, 3-lobed, central lob oblong, obtuse at apex, rugose on edges; lateral lobes auriform, ovate or deltoid, partially enveloping the column; column small, mostly winged; pollinia yellow, long and flattened. Capsules terete, longitudinal 6-ribbed. Flowering in March - May, fruiting in May - June.
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Flowering plant
Crude drug
Common names

Bletilla Tuber
Parts used

Tubers
Major uses

The drug is used as astringent, hemostatic, anti-swelling  agent, regenerative agent of muscles;for the treatment of hemoptysis, melena, epistaxis, traumatic bleeding, boils and sores, scalds.

 

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• China

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Areas of production
Grows on damp sites, in ravines and distributed chiefly in Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu provinces and South China.

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Harvesting
The tubers are dug up in summer and autumn, removed from fibrous roots, washed, boiled or steamed until absent from white spot in the cutting surface, dried briefly in the sun, rammed to peel the outer tissue, and then dried.

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Pharmacological studies
It showed fine topical hemostatic effect and markedly shortened the clotting time and prothrombin and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Its injection when injected into hypocelom vein in experimental frog caused erythrocyte thrombosis.Therefor it not only mended the blood vessel defect, but also avoided blocking the blood flow in larger vessels. It caused small topical reaction on tissues, hence the formed thrombosis will be naturally absorbed within 5 days. Beside, it also showed significant inhibitory action on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and weak inhibition on Microsporum audouini.
Chemical constituents
Bletilla contains bletilla mannan, starch, glucose, volatile oil etc.

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