Gastrodia
| Gastrodia | |
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| Gastrodia sesamoides at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Tribe: | Gastrodieae |
| Subtribe: | Gastrodiinae |
| Genus: | Gastrodia R. Br. |
| Selected Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Gastrodia is a genus of saprophytic, achlorophyllous orchids with about 40 species. Many of the species in this group are critically endangered in habitat as the plants have significant medical properties and health benefits and are threatened by over collecting. The plants in this genus typically defy cultivation and medicinal remedies obtained from these plants are usually derived from wild stands of harvested plants.
Some species in this group produce potato like tubers and were consumed as food by native peoples in Australia and can be successfully cultivated, notably Gastrodia sesamoides. Wild stands of these plants can still be found in the same areas as early aboriginal settlements, such as Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in Australia. Aboriginal peoples located the plants in habitat by observing where bandicoots had scratched in search of the tubers after detecting the plants underground by scent. [2]
Although these plants are used extensively in Chinese Herbal Medicine and do possess measurable health benefits, the plants should not be disturbed or removed from habitat and a large number of species in this genus are critically endangered. Many species of native orchids in China are now extinct in these countries due to poaching for Chinese herbal remedies as well as the cut flower trade, most notably native varieties of Cypripedium which once were common in China. Many members of this genus are listed on CITES as endangered and are protected in many locales. [3]
[edit] Medicinal Uses
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012) |
Gastrodia is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
[edit] Species
- Gastrodia abscondita
- Gastrodia africana
- Gastrodia angusta
- Gastrodia antennifera
- Gastrodia arunachalensis
- Gastrodia autumnalis
- Gastrodia boninensis
- Gastrodia callosa
- Gastrodia celebica
- Gastrodia crassisepala
- Gastrodia crebriflora
- Gastrodia crispa
- Gastrodia cunninghamii
- Gastrodia dioscoreirrhiza
- Gastrodia dyeriana
- Gastrodia elata
- Gastrodia entomogama
- Gastrodia exilis
- Gastrodia falconeri
- Gastrodia fimbriata
- Gastrodia flavilabella
- Gastrodia foetida
- Gastrodia fontinalis
- Gastrodia gracilis
- Gastrodia grandilabris
- Gastrodia hasseltii
- Gastrodia hayatae
- Gastrodia hectori
- Gastrodia hiemalis
- Gastrodia holttumii
- Gastrodia javanica
- Gastrodia lacista
- Gastrodia leucopetala
- Gastrodia lutea
- Gastrodia madagascariensis
- Gastrodia mairei
- Gastrodia malayana
- Gastrodia menghaiensis
- Gastrodia minor
- Gastrodia nipponica
- Gastrodia orobanchoides
- Gastrodia ovata
- Gastrodia pallens
- Gastrodia papuana
- Gastrodia peichatieniana
- Gastrodia procera
- Gastrodia queenslandica
- Gastrodia schinziana
- Gastrodia sesamoides
- Gastrodia shikokiana
- Gastrodia shimizuana
- Gastrodia siamensis
- Gastrodia stapfii
- Gastrodia taiensis
- Gastrodia taiwaniana
- Gastrodia tuberculata
- Gastrodia urceolata
- Gastrodia verrucosa
- Gastrodia vescula
- Gastrodia viridis
- Gastrodia zeylanica
[edit] References
- ^ " New plant and animal species found in Vietnam" CNN. September 27, 2007.
- ^ Early western district (Vic.) settler gives account of local Aboriginal people gathering Potato Orchid tubers, digging where bandicoots had scratched. (Dawson in Zola & Gott, 1992:38)
- ^ Cheek, M. & Cable, S. 2000. Gastrodia africana. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 21 August 2007.
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