How many species of Gastrodia elata are there?

Gastrodia elata is a traditional Chinese medicinal material that can be of great help in treating many diseases. However, due to the different types of Gastrodia elata, it has different names in many areas, so everyone’s understanding of Gastrodia elata is only partial and not that painful. Although Gastrodia elata can relieve dizziness, numbness of the limbs, infantile convulsions and other problems, what are the types and names of Gastrodia elata?

Gastrodia elata (scientific name: Gastrodia elata Bl.), also known as red arrow, single-wave zhi, left mother, Heli grass, magic grass, ghost Duyou, Mupu, Ming Tianma, Dingfengcao, Bailongpi, etc., is a perennial herb of the genus Gastrodia in the Orchidaceae family. The rhizome is thick and has no green leaves. The capsule is obovate-elliptical and often reproduces by tubers or seeds. Its rhizome is used as medicine to treat dizziness, limb

Gastrodia elata (scientific name: Gastrodia elata Bl.), also known as red arrow, single-wave zhi, left mother, Heli grass, magic grass, ghost Duyou, Mupu, Ming Tianma, Dingfengcao, Bailongpi, etc., is a perennial herb of the genus Gastrodia in the Orchidaceae family. The rhizome is thick and has no green leaves. The capsule is obovate-elliptical and often reproduces by tubers or seeds. Its rhizome is used as medicine to treat dizziness, limb numbness, infantile convulsions and other symptoms. It is a precious Chinese medicine.

There are five varieties of Gastrodia elata, namely the original variety red Gastrodia elata f. elata, black Gastrodia elata f. glauca S. Chow (1983), green Gastrodia elata f. viridis (Makino) Makino (1940), yellow Gastrodia elata f. flavida S. Chow (1983) and loose Gastrodia elata f. alba S. Chow (1983). The division of these varieties was mainly determined by Zhou Hyun.

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Among these types of Gastrodia elata, red Gastrodia elata has high seed germination rate and yield, strong adaptability and drought resistance, while black Gastrodia elata has lower tuber reproduction rate, seed germination rate and yield, but low water content and good quality of dry products. Therefore, red Gastrodia elata and black Gastrodia elata are both commonly cultivated excellent varieties, among which red Gastrodia elata is the most widely cultivated, while green Gastrodia elata has good quality but is relatively rare.