Pholidota chinensis: Unlocking the Medicinal Marvels of Chinese Orchids

Pholidota chinensis, commonly known as Chinese Pholidota, is an orchid species whose pseudobulbs or the whole plant are utilized for their medicinal properties.

It is known to nourish yin and moisten the lungs, clear heat and detoxify, promote fluid drainage, and dispel blood stasis.

It is frequently used to treat symptoms such as cough with lung heat, coughing up blood, hematemesis, dizziness, headaches, nocturnal emissions, sore throat, rheumatic pain, edematous swelling due to damp-heat, dysentery, leukorrhea, childhood nutritional impairment, scrofula, and injuries from falls and blows.

I. Medicinal Parts

The pseudobulbs or the entire plant can be used.

II. Properties

The herb tastes sweet with a slight bitterness and has a cooling nature.

III. Meridian Tropism

It acts on the lung and kidney meridians.

IV. Efficacy

It serves to nourish yin, moisten the lungs, clear heat, detoxify, promote diuresis, and eliminate blood stasis.

V. Indications

Chinese Pholidota is used to treat cough with lung heat, coughing up blood, vomiting blood, dizziness, headaches, nocturnal emissions, sore throat, rheumatic pain, edematous swelling due to damp-heat, dysentery, leukorrhea, childhood nutritional impairment, scrofula, and injuries from falls and blows.

VI. Dosage and Administration

Internally: It is taken as a decoction, 15–30g, or double the amount for the fresh herb.

Externally: An appropriate amount of the fresh herb is applied topically after being crushed.

VII. Processing Method

The plant is harvested in autumn. It can be used fresh or blanched with boiling water then dried.

VIII. Botanical Characteristics

Chinese Pholidota is a perennial herb with robust, creeping rhizomes. The pseudobulbs are ovate, cylindrical, or narrowly conical, fleshy, and range from 2 to 6cm in length and 1 to 2.5cm in width, with two leaves growing at the apex.

The leaves are elliptical or inversely lance-shaped, 5 to 18cm long, and 2 to 5cm wide, tapering to a pointed tip with a narrowed base forming a petiole, and have distinct longitudinal veins.

The flower spike emerges from the small pseudobulbs covered by scale leaves, reaching a length of 10 to 15cm; the raceme is erect or pendulous with 8 to 20 flowers; the flowers are white, greenish-white, or yellowish; the bracts are narrowly ovate and in two rows; the sepals are ovate and nearly equal in size, about 1cm long; the petals are linear; the labellum is saccate at the base and three-lobed.

The fruit is an inverted ovoid capsule containing powdery seeds. It flowers in spring and summer.

IX. Growth Environment

This orchid grows epiphytically on trees in broad-leaved forests, forest floors, or on rocks beside streams at altitudes between 1000 and 1200 meters.

X. Identification

Medicinal Material

The rhizomes are robust with a diameter of 5 to 10mm, grayish-black adventitious roots at the lower side, and distinct nodes.

Parchment-like scale leaves are present on the nodes, with a pseudobulb growing every 0.5 to 1.5cm, which are fleshy and bottle-shaped, ovate or elongate, 3 to 7.5cm in length, and 1.5 to 2.5cm in diameter.

The surface is greenish or yellow-green, with 5 to 7 longitudinal ridges or smooth, tapering at the base to a stalk-like shape, sometimes enclosed by sheath-like scale leaves.

Two leaves grow at the apex, often shed leaving a “V”-shaped leaf scar. The leaves are leathery, thick, elliptical or lanceolate, 5 to 18cm long or longer, and 3 to 6cm wide.

They come to a gradual point at the tip, wedge-shaped at the base, tapering to a stalk-like shape, with several parallel veins, three of which are prominent and protruding on the underside.

The flower spike grows at the apex and is often dried. The herb has a slight scent and a sweet, mild taste.