Xiaojin Gastrodia Elata

Xiaojin Gastrodia Elata

　　Gastrodia elata is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Gastrodia genus in the Orchidaceae family. It grows in valley woodlands at altitudes of 2,000 to 3,000 meters (also known as Chi Jian, Ding Feng Cao, Shui Yang Yu, etc.). Gastrodia elata is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal herb, used in medicine for over two thousand years. According to the “Shennong Bencao Jing” (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), Gastrodia elata (referred to at the time as Chi Jian) was used to treat convulsions, loss of consciousness, and to benefit the spirit. It has an acrid, warm nature and is non-toxic. It is effective in dispelling wind and calming convulsions, and is mainly used to treat dizziness, blurred vision, neurasthenia, rheumatic arthralgia, limb spasm, infantile convulsions, and other conditions. Clinical applications have shown that it has significant efficacy in treating vascular neurogenic headaches and sequelae of concussion. According to relevant sources, Gastrodia elata is only produced in Eastern Asia—in China, North Korea, Japan, and the Far East region of the former Soviet Union—with China being the largest producer.

　　Source: Xiaojin County Information Office