One Chinese herb that you probably don’t want to have growing in your garden is Ban Xia. It’s also called pinellia or Crow Dipper. It’s not particularly attractive, and it has a really bad spreading habit, in which this small plant can take over your garden or back yard. Ban Xia actually looks a lot like the Jack in the Pulpit plants that you may come across in the woods during the spring wildflower bloom. However, the bloom on the Ban Xia plant grows straight up (like a very narrow Calla lily), where the Jack in the Pulpit plant has a very attractive flower with a colorful hood.
The Ban Xia plant is native to Asia, but its spreading habit has made it an invasive species in some parts of the world where it’s been introduced. One reason this plant spreads so readily is that it has a couple of different ways to reproduce. It produces a seed pod after the flower has bloomed; it forms small bulbs, called bulblets at the base of each leaf; and it spreads underground through its rhizome system, which is a network of tuberous roots that help the plant spread.
The part of the Ban Xia plant that’s used in Chinese medicine is the rhizome. It’s important to know that in raw form, these roots are toxic and need to be processed before it can be used as a Chinese herb. This practice, in which herbs are prepared for medicinal use is called Pao Zhi.
Ban Xia is used in a lot of Chinese herbal formulas, first because it has a number of important actions, but secondly because it’s really effective. This herb is used in formulas to:
- Dry dampness. Sometimes our water metabolism becomes out of balance. When that happens, you may become too dry or accumulate water and become damp. Dampness can show up as water swelling such as edema, a feeling of heaviness, or being prone to damp conditions, such as nail fungus or yeast infections.
- Reduce phlegm. In Chinese medicine, phlegm can be visible or invisible. Visible phlegm is the mucous that clogs up your lungs and makes you cough or blocks your sinuses. Invisible phlegm is still present, we just don’t see or hear it, it can make you feel nauseous, dizzy or cause lumps and bumps.
- Help rebellious Qi descend. This is a poetic term for things going the wrong direction in your body. For example, when you eat food, it should move downward and be digested. However, if you’re having nausea or vomiting, your Stomach Qi is going the wrong way. This is also true in your lungs; coughing is considered to be rebellious Lung Qi.
- Dissolves nodules. This is actually related to Ban Xia’s ability to reduce phlegm. Many nodules in your body are considered to be a form of phlegm. This herb has been used to treat goiter (an enlarged thyroid gland) something called scrofula, which is now a rare bacterial infection that causes the lymph glands in your neck to swell. Today, these conditions are more commonly treated with medications, such as thyroid hormones and antibiotics.
- Support your digestion. Ban Xia is frequently used in formulas to treat nausea, vomiting and bloating.
- Treat something called Plum Pit Qi. This is the feeling that a lump is stuck in your throat that won’t move upward or downward. It’s also called globus, and in most cases is caused by an esophageal spasm. This condition is frequently caused by stress or an emotional situation that feels “too hard to swallow”. Both herbal and acupuncture treatments focus on calming your emotions and reducing phlegm (invisible phlegm once again!)
The bottom line is that despite is spreading and weedy nature, Ban Xia is an incredibly useful and effective herb. However, it takes a practitioner with training and experience who uses the non-toxic prepared herb and knows how and when to use it. When prescribed properly, this herb can be used to clear out a sinus infection, treat a common cold, settle your stomach, open your lungs, relieve a cough, reduce bloating or chest tightness, dry dampness and alleviate esophageal spasms. If you have questions about whether Chinese herbal medicine could help you, please give me a call or book a free consult by clicking below.
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Dr. Jeda Boughton is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Registered Acupuncturist in Vancouver. She is also a Registered Herbologist and the founder of BodaHealth.
