Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (Fam. Cucurbitaceae)
1. Branch with flflowers; 2. Fruit
Pharmaceutical Name : Rhizoma Bletillae Striatae
Bletilla rhizome
Dried tuber
Rhizoma Bletillae Striatae is produced chieflfly in
southern and southwestern China. It is collected in
summer and autumn. The hairy rootlets and the
bark are removed, the tuber is washed, then dried in
sunlight. It is sliced or ground into fifine powder for
application.
Bitter, sweet, and sour in flflavor, slightly cold in
property, acts on the Lung, Liver, and Stomach
channels.
Astringes blood, reduces swelling, and promotes the
regeneration of tissue.
For hemoptysis, it is ground into powder and
used alone or with Folium Eriobotryae (Pi Pa Ye),
Nodus Nelumbinis Rhizomatis (Ou Jie), Colla
Corii Asini (A Jiao), and fresh Radix Rehmanniae
(Sheng Di Huang) in “The Pills of Bletillae and
Eriobotryae” (Bai Ji Pi Pa Wan).
For bleeding due to traumatic injuries, it is
ground into a fifine powder and used externally,
either alone or with powdered Gypsum Fibrosum
(Shi Gao).
For sores, boils, and carbuncles at the early stage,
and non-ulcerated infections, it is used with Flos
Lonicerae ( Jin Yin Hua), Bulbus Fritillariae Cir
rhosae (Bei Mu), and Radix Trichosanthis (Tian
Hua Fen) in an oral dose. For slow-healing sores,
Bletilla powder is applied externally.
For rhagades of the hand and foot, anal fifissure,
scalds, and burns, an ointment made from the pow
der of Rhizoma Bletillae Striatae (Bai Ji) and sesame
oil is applied to the local area.
– g, if used in decoction; .– g, if used as a
powder. Appropriate quantity for external appli
cation.
It is incompatible with Radix Aconiti (Chuan Wu)
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