Common Name: Hyacinth Orchid

General Information

Bletilla striata is a herbaceous, perennial plant, spreading slowly by means of a compressed rhizome to produce a cluster of stems; it can grow 18 - 60cm tall[].
The plant has a long history of use as a wound herb in China and is still much used in the present day, being harvested from the wild and also cultivated - it is often sold in markets[]. The plant is also often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar.

Habitat

Grassy slopes in foothills, C. and S. Japan[]. In sandy soils amongst grassy patches on cool mountain slopes in China[]. Evergreen broad-leaved forests, Quercus forests, coniferous forests, grassy places, crevices; from 100 - 3,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.40 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Bletilla striata is moderately winter hardy, growing at elevations up to 3,200 metres in hardiness zones 7 - 10. Plants have grown well at Kew Botanical Gardens in England, where they have formed large colonies[].
Requires a friable, damp but well-drained soil enriched with leafmold[]. Dislikes wet soils[]. Requires shade from the midday sun[]. Plants prefer a sheltered position in light shade, also succeeding in full sun in humus-rich soils[]. If growing plants near the limits of their hardiness, then give them extra protection by applying a good organic mulch in the late autumn, or lift the plants and store them dry in a frost free place, planting them out again in the spring and only just covering them[].
Grows well with ferns in a woodland setting[].
Orchids are, in general, shallow-rooting plants of well-drained low-fertility soils. Their symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil allows them to obtain sufficient nutrients and be able to compete successfully with other plants. They are very sensitive to the addition of fertilizers or fungicides since these can harm the symbiotic fungus and thus kill the orchid[]. Plant the tubers no more than 5cm deep in the soil[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The hyacinth orchid is an important wound herb in China, where it has been used medicinally for over 1,500 years[]. The root (actually a pseudobulb) is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic, demulcent, pectoral, skin, styptic and vulnerary[, , ]. It is taken internally in the treatment of haemorrhages of the stomach or lungs, uterine bleeding and nose bleeds[]. It is particularly effective against the endotoxin produced by Haemophilus pertusis in whooping cough[].
Externally, it is mixed with sesame oil and applied as a poultice to burns, cuts, abscesses and sores[].
The pseudobulbs are harvested when the plant is dormant and are dried for use in decoctions and powders[].

Other Uses

The bulb is mucilaginous, it is used as a size to impart a glossiness to ink and also to make an invisible ink (seen by wetting the paper and holding it up to the light)[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow, preferably as soon as it is ripe, in the greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out. The seed of this species is extremely simple, it has a minute embryo surrounded by a single layer of protective cells. It contains very little food reserves and depends upon a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil-dwelling fungus. The fungal hyphae invade the seed and enter the cells of the embryo. The orchid soon begins to digest the fungal tissue and this acts as a food supply for the plant until it is able to obtain nutrients from decaying material in the soil[]. It is best to use some of the soil that is growing around established plants in order to introduce the fungus, or to sow the seed around a plant of the same species and allow the seedlings to grow on until they are large enough to move.
Division in autumn. Make sure that you keep plenty of soil with each plant. It is also said to be possible to transplant orchids after they have flowered but whilst they are still in leaf.
Division is best carried out in the spring[]. Each division should have a leading point and two, or preferably three, pseudobulbs/joints of the rhizome[]. More propagating material can be obtained by cutting halfway through the rhizome during the previous growing season at the point where you wish to divide[]. This will stimulate the production of growth buds at the point of division[].