Tian Ma

At a glance

Origin / distribution: China, Japan

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Ache(Head), Amnesia, Aphrodisiac, Apprehension

Science studied: ARSENIC, BIS-(4-HYDROXYBANZYL)-ETHER, GASTRODIOSIDE, 4-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYLOXYBENZYL-ALCOHOL

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Orchidaceae

Scientific name: Gastrodia elata

Common names: Tian Ma, Cheon-ma, Cheonma (Tall gastrodia), Tall Gastrodia, Tianma, gastrodia, gastródia vysoká, oni-no-yagara, tien ma, Пузатка высокая, オニノヤガラ, 天麻, 高赤箭, 鬼の矢柄, 천마

POWO: 635522-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in China, Japan.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Ache(Head)
• Amnesia
• Aphrodisiac
• Apprehension
• Carminative
• Convulsion
• Diarrhea
• Fainting

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• China
• Japan

Documented cultural uses

• Ache(Head)
• Amnesia
• Aphrodisiac
• Apprehension
• Carminative
• Convulsion
• Diarrhea
• Fainting
• Fever
• Memory
• Myoneuralgia
• Neuralgia

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Ache(Head) · China · "
• Amnesia · China · "
• Aphrodisiac · China · "
• Apprehension · China · "
• Carminative · China · "
• Convulsion · China · "
• Diarrhea · China · "
• Fainting · China · "
• Fever · China · "
• Memory · China · "
• Myoneuralgia · China · "
• Neuralgia · China · "
• Neurasthenia · Japan · "
• Numbness · China · "
• Paralysis · China · "
• Rheumatism · China · "
• Vertigo · China · "
• Vertigo · Japan · "
• Virility · China · "
• Restorative · China · "
• Spasm · China · "
• Ache(Head) · Japan · "
• Arthritis · China · "
• Epilepsy · China · "

5 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Ameliorative effect of Gastrodia elata Blume extract on inflammation in a rat model of osteoarthritis. · 2026 source ↗
• Optimization of the preparation of Gastrodia elata polysaccharide and investigation of their immunostimulatory activity in mice. · 2026 source ↗
• Insight into medicinal chemistry behind traditional Chinese medicines: polybenzyls in Gastrodia elata. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ARSENIC
• BIS-(4-HYDROXYBANZYL)-ETHER
• GASTRODIOSIDE
• 4-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYLOXYBENZYL-ALCOHOL
• 4-HYDROXYBENZYL-METHYL-ETHER
• IRON
• MAGNESIUM
• MANGANESE
• MERCURY
• MUCILAGE
• POTASSIUM
• SODIUM
• VANILLIN
• ZINC
• 4-HYDROXYBENZALDEHYDE
• COPPER

Legality

CITES: Appendix II

II — FAMILY listing Orchidaceae spp. — Included in Appendix II, except for the species included in Appendix I. Additionally, artificially propagated hybrids of the following genera are not subject to the provisions of the Convention, if conditions, as indicated under a) and b), are met: Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and Vanda : a) Specimens are readily recognizable as artificially propagated and do not show any signs of having been collected in the wild such as mechanical damage or strong dehydration resulting from collection, irregular growth and heterogeneous size and shape within a taxon and shipment, algae or other epiphyllous organisms adhering to leaves, or damage by insects or other pests; and b) i) when shipped in non-flowering state, the specimens must be traded in shipments consisting of individual containers (such as cartons, boxes, crates or individual shelves of CC-containers) each containing 20 or more plants of the same hybrid; the plants within each container must exhibit a high degree of uniformity and healthiness; and the shipment must be accompanied by documentation, such as an invoice, which clearly states the number of plants of each hybrid; or ii) when shipped in flowering state, with at least one fully open flower per specimen, no minimum number of specimens per shipment is required but specimens must be professionally processed for commercial retail sale, e.g. labelled with printed labels or packaged with printed packages indicating the name of the hybrid and the country of final processing. This should be clearly visible and allow easy verification. Plants not clearly qualifying for the exemption must be accompanied by appropriate CITES documents. — 05/03/2026

Jurisdictions in the listing: Bhutan (BT), China (CN), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (KP), India (IN), Japan (JP), Nepal (NP), Republic of Korea (KR), Russian Federation (RU), Taiwan, Province of China (TW)

View the Species+ record ↗

This is an international trade listing, not a complete statement of country-specific law.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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