Bletilla striata
Family: Orchidaceae
What it is like
An orchid. It grows 18-60 cm tall. The rhizome is flattened. It is 1-3 cm across. The stems are 3-25 cm long and stout and encloses several long tubular sheaths. There are 4-6 leaves. The leaves are widely spaced or clustered towards the tip of the stem. They are narrowly oval and 8-29 cm long by 2-4 cm wide.
It is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests between 100-3,200 m above sea level in China. In Sichuan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The bulb is stewed with pork or chicken.
Edible parts
Bulb
How it is grown
It can be grown by division of the bulbs. It can be grown by seeds.
Its other names
Local names
Baiji