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Pinellia ternata

Common name:	Ban Xia	Family:	Araceae
Author:	(Thunb.)Makino.	Botanical references:	58, 200
Synonyms:	Pinellia tubifera (Ten.)
Known Hazards:	The plant is toxic[147]. This report probably refers to the presence of calcium oxylate. This is toxic and if consumed makes the mouth and digestive tract feel as though hundreds of needles are being stuck into it. However, calcium oxylate is easily destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant[172].
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat:	Cultivated fields and roadsides all over Japan[58]. Shady and damp grass thickets on mountain sides and stream edges[147].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Arisaema cochinchinense[G] Arum dracontium[G] Arum macrourum[H] Arum ternatum[G,H] Atherurus ternatus[H] P. cochinchinense[G] P. tuberifera[E,H] P. wawrae[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ban Xia [E], Crowdipper [B,P], Karasu-Bisyaku [E], Pan Hisa [E], Pan Hsia [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	ternata = in threes
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Arales. Arum family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China Japan

Physical Characteristics

Corm growing to 0.2m by 0.15m . It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Root.

Root[177]. The tuber is about 12mm in diameter[266]. No more details of edibility are given in these reports but caution is advised since the fresh root is toxic[238]. The toxins can be destroyed by thoroughly drying, or very well cooking the root[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiemetic Antiphlogistic Cancer Expectorant Febrifuge Sialagogue Styptic.

The root of ban xia is antiemetic, antiphlogistic, expectorant, febrifuge, sialagogue and styptic. It also strengthens the spleen[147, 174, 176, 178, 279]. Modern research has shown that this remedy is very effective in controlling nausea and vomiting[238]. It is also an ingredient of a Chinese prescription for removing gallstones without surgery, a process that usually causes severe nausea[238]. The root is also used internally in the treatment of coughs with thin watery phlegm and gastritis[238]. The fresh root is extremely acrid and contains toxins, these are neutralized upon drying or by soaking in tea or vinegar[238]. The root is harvested in the summer and dried for later use, it should not be used fresh[174, 238].
Extracts of the plant have been shown to have analgesic, antiemetic, anticancer and sedative activity[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

An easily grown when given a rich soil, it requires plenty of water in the growing season[1]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[188].
This species is cultivated as a medicinal plant in China[178].
Plants produce bulbils in their leaf axils and when growing in suitable conditions can become invasive[188, 238]. The plants can be naturalized in woodland[1].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division of offsets as new growth begins in spring[238].
Bulbils from the leaf axils can be potted up in late summer and be planted out in late spring[238].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Pinellia tuberifera (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Araceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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