Roots and rhizomesHemostaticBletillae Rhizoma

Bai Ji (Common Bletilla Tuber)

Q: How do you choose raw versus prepared? Can San Qi replace it?

Bai Ji can be sliced and used raw or ground to powder. San Qi leans to dissipating stasis without specialized flesh-generating action, so it cannot replace the formula by equal weight. Commercial products follow regulated processing; do not self-modify.

Q: What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a bleeding-stopping tea?

Decocted, the usual dosage is 3–10 g, with a large dose up to 30 g. Modern use requires a practitioner to name the dose. It is not a four-season “bletilla tea.” External contraction with excess heat only injures further, and bleeding needs a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace assessment.

Q: What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?

It is contraindicated in external-contraction hemoptysis, early lung abscess, and excess heat in the Lung and Stomach. Pregnancy requires practitioner assessment. Stop if nausea or vomiting appears, and massive bleeding or high fever need immediate medical care.

Q: Can Bai Ji be drunk daily as a bleeding-stopping or flesh-generating tea?

Internal-injury bleeding may enter a short formula, but external contraction with excess heat only injures further. “Bletilla must stop bleeding” does not replace assessment, and astringing and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and generating flesh should be named by a practitioner with form and dose.

A practical guide to Bai Ji: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 29, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Bletillae Rhizoma
Chinese Name & Pinyin	白及 · Bai Ji
Medicinal Part	Roots and rhizomes
The item	Bai Ji is the dried tuber of the common bletilla of the orchid family, steamed until no white core remains; a stir-fried version is also made. Xian He Cao, agrimony, is not this herb. It usually goes into decoctions, powders, and external applications.
Nature and channels	Sweet, bitter, astringent, cold. Enters the Lung, Stomach, and Liver. It astrings and stops bleeding, disperses swelling, and generates flesh.
Pharmacopoeia line	Astrings and stops bleeding, disperses swelling, and generates flesh. Used for hemoptysis, hematemesis, bloody stool, traumatic bleeding, swollen carbuncles and sores, and chronic non-healing wounds.
Pattern cues	Blood in the cough. Vomiting blood. Bloody stool. Chronic unhealed sores. Slow-to-close wounds.
In this article	Bai Ji versus Xian He Cao. Protecting the mucosa versus supporting deficiency. Why the dose is modest. Why acute excess sores are a caution. Why bleeding needs a clinic. Who should skip it.

What Is Bai Ji?

Bai Ji (白及; Bái Jí; Latin: Bletilla striata; English: bletilla rhizome) in the current pharmacopoeia is the dried tuber of a perennial herb of the orchid family, dug up in autumn after the stems and leaves wither, trimmed of rootlets, scalded or steamed until no white core remains, and then sun-dried; a stir-fried version is also made. It is sweet, bitter, and astringent, cold in nature, enters the Lung, Stomach, and Liver channels, and its core actions are to astringe and stop bleeding, and to disperse swelling and generate flesh. It usually goes into decoctions, powders, and external applications. The usual amount is 6–15 g. It needs no special preparation in a decoction and may be simmered together with the other herbs, or taken as a powder stirred into warm water. External use is a suitable amount of powder applied to chronic unhealed sores.

It is not Xian He Cao. Agrimony is neutral, bitter and astringent, and supports deficiency while astringing bleeding and stopping chronic dysentery, suiting bleeding paired with fatigue and long-lasting loose stools, while Bai Ji is cold and targets the mucosa itself, closing bleeding and rebuilding the wound surface. It is not a first move in acute excess-stage bleeding or hot swollen sores. Blood in the cough, vomiting blood, or bloody stool needs a clinic first. Use caution in pregnancy and with anticoagulant medicines. Drying the stools too much is a poor match.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Lung and stomach mucosal bleeding: blood in the cough, vomiting blood, bloody stool — seek care
Chronic unhealed carbuncles and sores, slow-to-close skin wounds
Mild stomach-mucosa discomfort and dry sore throat after minor mucosal strain

Sweet, bitter, and astringent, cold in nature, it is not a daily “wound powder” to keep taking. Astringing while an excess pathogen is still present locks the pathogen in, and long-term use dries the stools.

When mucosal injury in the lung or stomach leaks blood, or a sore refuses to close, hemoptysis, hematemesis, bloody stool, and chronic ulcers are common. Bai Ji is sweet, bitter, astringent, and cold. It astrings bleeding, disperses swelling, and generates flesh, which is why it appears in Bai Ji Pi Pa Wan (Bletilla and Loquat Pill)–type formulas and Bai Ji San (Bletilla Powder)–type formulas. It astrings more than it releases. An acute hot swollen sore with excess, with no old wound, gets worse the more it is added.

Bai Ji is not a catch-all bleeding or wound powder. In acute excess-stage bleeding or hot swollen sores, in pregnancy, or with anticoagulant use, using it alone is a poor match. Dried or stir-fried, and whether it belongs in a formula, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Bai Ji: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Bletillae Rhizoma

Botanical Origin

The dired rhizome of Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb. f. (Orchidaceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is large, full, white, translucent, hard and firm texture.

Macroscopic Features

Irregular flat spherical shape, with 2~3 claw-like branches, 0.5~1.5cm long, 0.5~1.5cm thick. Externally grayish-white or yellowish-white; presents numerous circular and concentric rings and brown dots of rootlet scars; presents raised stem scars, a scar of connection with another stem on the base. Hard texture, hard to break, off-white fracture surface, horn-like. faint odor; taste bitter, sticky when chewed.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Traditional materia medica and industry experience value the Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan producing regions, considering their quality better — though actual quality also depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. In appearance, the Bai Ji tuber is irregularly flat-round, with 2–3 claw-like branches, a gray-white or yellowish-white surface with concentric ring lines and root-fiber scars, a hard texture, a horny, semi-transparent cross-section, a slightly bitter odor, and a sticky chew. The difference between raw and processed forms: the raw product is mostly irregular thin slices with a gray-white or yellowish-white surface; Chao Bai Ji has a slightly yellow surface and a deeper cross-section color. The common look-alike is Tu Bai Ji — its tuber shape differs and the cross-section is mostly powdery, clearly different from Bai Ji's horny texture.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Bitter, Sweet, Astringent; Slightly coldLungLiverStomach

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: lists it as a lower-grade herb — mainly treating abscesses, malignant sores, and decaying ulcers that injure the yin and kill flesh; it expels stasis blood and generates new flesh.
Ming Yi Bie Lu: notes it removes white tinea and malignant sores, and regulates the evil qi of the stomach.
Xin Xiu Ben Cao: adds that it treats wind evil, spontaneous sweating, and stagnant heat that will not resolve.
Ben Cao Gang Mu: clarifies that it converges to stop bleeding — used for all kinds of bleeding, such as spitting blood, nosebleed, and intestinal-wind blood in the stool — while also regenerating flesh and closing sores, for sores that will not heal.

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Different physicians saw it somewhat differently. Some stressed its converging-to-stop-bleeding action, mostly using it for lung-stomach bleeding patterns. Others emphasized its swelling-reducing, flesh-regenerating action, using it for body-surface sores. Still others held that its scope is relatively narrow — it should not be used when evil qi is strong and excess, to avoid the converging action "closing the door and keeping the bandit" — that is, locking the evil in and preventing its discharge. This difference shows how Chinese medicine is used by pattern diagnosis rather than as a single universal herb.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Astringes and stops bleeding, reduces swelling and generates flesh.

1. First Direction: Converging to Stop Bleeding

Traditional action: converge to stop bleeding — protecting the bleeding site through the astringent-securing quality and reducing the bleeding.
Typical signs: the patterns of lung-stomach mucosal bleeding — coughing with blood, vomiting blood, and blood in the stool — mostly from mucosal damage.
Usual combinations: often paired with other bleeding-stopping or organ-regulating herbs — with E Jiao to strengthen the bleeding-stopping effect, or with San Qi to work in coordination.
Who should not self-use: in the early stage of bleeding when evil qi is strong — to avoid the converging action retaining the evil and worsening the condition.

2. Second Direction: Reducing Swelling and Regenerating Flesh

Traditional action: reduce swelling and regenerate flesh — resolving the swelling of sores and promoting wound healing.
Typical signs: sores that stay open long after bursting, skin wounds that are hard to repair after trauma, and mucosal ulcer repair.
Usual combinations: often paired with heat-clearing, toxin-resolving or qi-boosting herbs — with Jin Yin Hua to reduce swelling and resolve toxin, or with Huang Qi to boost qi and regenerate flesh.
Who should not self-use: in the early stage of sores with obvious redness, swelling, heat, and pain — strong excess evil — to avoid closing the door and keeping the bandit.

3. Classic Pairing: Bai Ji With Wu Zei Gu

The common herb pair is Bai Ji with Wu Zei Gu (cuttlebone). Bai Ji converges to stop bleeding and reduces swelling to regenerate flesh; Wu Zei Gu converges to stop bleeding and reduces acid to stop pain. Together: Bai Ji focuses on repairing the mucosal wound, Wu Zei Gu focuses on reducing acid and stopping bleeding — they coordinate for the patterns of bleeding and pain from gastric mucosal ulcers. This pair needs a practitioner's pattern diagnosis; do not combine herbs on your own.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Main Chemical Constituents

Detected constituents include Bletilla polysaccharides, bibenzyl compounds, and phenanthrene compounds — with the polysaccharide being a high-content constituent. In vitro experiments observed that these constituents have some effect in promoting cell proliferation; animal experiments found that the polysaccharide may have a protective effect on gastric mucosal injury. No sufficient human clinical study has yet confirmed the specific effect of these constituents in people.

2. Current Research Directions

Current research mainly focuses on the mucosal protection and wound-repair related actions of its constituents. Studies show that the polysaccharide promotes the growth of fibroblasts in vitro; in animal experiments, after giving the extract, the healing of gastric mucosal injury accelerated. But the results observed in experiments cannot be directly equated with clinical efficacy — more human studies are still needed to verify the specific effect in people.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — in vitro and animal results cannot be directly applied to humans; the physiology and metabolism of animals differ from humans, and the effective responses in experiments may not appear in people.
Extracts and monomers are not the same as traditional decoction pieces — modern research uses extracted constituents or monomers, while clinical use is the traditional slice; the dose and route of administration differ, and the extract dose cannot simply infer the slice dose.
Methods and doses vary between studies — extraction method, constituent purity, and given dose differ across studies, leading to inconsistent results and no unified conclusion.
A single component does not define the whole herb — Bai Ji's action is the result of many components working together; a single-component study cannot represent the whole herb's overall effect — it must be judged with traditional use and the combined action of many components in mind.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

The similar herb chosen is Xian He Cao (agrimony). They share:

Both have converging to stop bleeding as an action.
Both are used for the regulation of all kinds of bleeding patterns.
Both need constitution and dose care — to avoid adverse reactions from improper use.

2. The Key Differences: Bai Ji vs. Xian He Cao

Nature and flavors: Bai Ji is cold with sweet, bitter, and astringent flavors — leaning astringent-securing, acting more on the mucosa and wound surface; Xian He Cao is neutral with bitter-astringent flavors — gentle, and carrying a deficiency-tonifying quality.
Focus: Bai Ji concentrates on converging to stop bleeding and reducing swelling to regenerate flesh — aimed at mucosal damage and wound repair; Xian He Cao concentrates on converging to stop bleeding, with a deficiency-tonifying, dysentery-stopping side — usable for the regulation of exhaustion and strain injury.
Qi tendency: Bai Ji is astringent-mainly — focused on protecting the local area and keeping bleeding and wounds from spreading, with a weaker effect on overall qi regulation; Xian He Cao, besides converging, also has some deficiency-tonifying action — assisting the regulation of deficient states of the viscera.
Best fit: Bai Ji fits the local-damage patterns of lung-stomach mucosal bleeding and sores that will not heal; Xian He Cao fits all kinds of bleeding, especially with deficiency and chronic dysentery.
Not suitable: Bai Ji is not for the early stage of excess-evil bleeding — to avoid closing the door and keeping the bandit; Xian He Cao has fewer cautions, but should also not be used for excess-pattern bleeding — to avoid converging the evil.
Use scenes: Bai Ji is used more in local regulation inside formula combinations — such as formulas for lung-consumption coughing blood, where Bai Ji is often included — and can be used externally for body-surface sores; Xian He Cao is used more in daily bleeding-stopping and deficiency-tonifying regulation — it can be decocted alone for bleeding with deficiency, and also used in food therapy.

3. One-Sentence Summary

Simply put, Bai Ji leans toward converging to stop bleeding and regenerating flesh to protect the mucosa, whereas Xian He Cao leans toward converging to stop bleeding and tonifying deficiency to stop dysentery. Both can be used for bleeding patterns, but they are not interchangeable.

Classical Formulas Containing Bai Ji

Classic Formula 1: Bai Ji Pi Pa Wan (Bletilla-Loquat Pill)

Combination logic: Bai Ji is the lord — using its converging-to-stop-bleeding and swelling-reducing, flesh-regenerating actions to address lung-deficiency chronic cough with blood-streaked phlegm. The formula also includes Pi Pa Ye and E Jiao: Pi Pa Ye moistens the lung and stops cough; E Jiao nourishes the yin and stops bleeding — coordinating with Bai Ji to strengthen the bleeding-stopping effect while regulating the lung deficiency. Why not use Bai Ji alone? Because lung-deficiency chronic cough often carries yin insufficiency — simple converging to stop bleeding cannot cover nourishing the yin and moistening the lung; several herbs must work together.

Traditional use: lung-deficiency chronic cough with blood-streaked phlegm — patterns mostly from lung-yin insufficiency and mucosal damage.

Modern note: modern clinical use requires a doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care; do not self-apply just because the formula is used for regulating lung-deficiency cough — confirm whether your own pattern fits.

Classic Formula 2: Bai Ji San (Bletilla Powder)

Combination logic: Bai Ji is the lord — using its converging-to-stop-bleeding and swelling-reducing, flesh-regenerating actions to address gastric mucosal bleeding and sores that will not heal. The formula also includes Wu Zei Gu — which reduces acid and stops bleeding — coordinating with Bai Ji to strengthen the bleeding-stopping and gastric-mucosa-protecting effect. Why not use Bai Ji alone? Because gastric mucosal bleeding often carries excess stomach acid — simple converging to stop bleeding cannot resolve the acid irritation; an acid-reducing herb is needed.

Traditional use: gastric mucosal bleeding and sores that burst and will not heal — patterns mostly from mucosal damage and qi-blood insufficiency.

Modern note: modern clinical use requires a doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care; do not self-apply just because the formula is used for regulating stomach bleeding — confirm whether your own pattern fits.

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

A formula is many herbs working together — through the lord-minister-assistant-emissary combination it achieves an overall regulating effect; a single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effect. The formula's doses and combinations are holistic — the dose and pairing of different herbs affect the formula's direction; using just one herb alone may not reach the formula's overall effect. The common misunderstanding: that because a herb works inside a formula, taking it alone will work the same way. In fact, the other herbs in the formula synergize or check one another; used alone, those supporting actions are missing — and the single nature may even bring discomfort. So don't build your own formula from online articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Porridge and Tea

Porridge — Bai Ji Shan Yao Zhou: Bai Ji powder 3 g, Shan Yao 15 g, Da Mi 50 g. Rinse the rice, peel and cube the yam, cook with the rice into porridge, add the Bai Ji powder when done, stir well, and cook 3–5 more minutes. Suited to mild gastric mucosal discomfort from spleen-stomach weakness — post-meal hidden stomach pain and slight acid reflux — as a daily auxiliary regulation. Not for those with severe spleen-stomach cold and loose stools, nor those in the acute inflammation stage with strong excess evil. Suggested: 2–3 times a week; not for long-term continuous eating.

Tea — Bai Ji Feng Mi Cha: Bai Ji powder 2 g, Feng Mi 5 g, warm water 200 ml. Dissolve the powder in warm water, add the honey, and stir. Suited to mild damage of the throat mucosa — dry throat, sore throat, or a slight cough with a few blood streaks. Not for diabetics, nor those with heavy damp-phlegm and a thick, greasy tongue coating. Suggested: once a day, no more than 1 week continuously.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The difference between raw and processed forms: raw Bai Ji mainly converges to stop bleeding and reduces swelling to regenerate flesh — mostly for decoctions or external use; Chao Bai Ji, stir-fried, has a stronger converging action — fitting bleeding from spleen-stomach weakness. When decocting, Bai Ji needs no pre-boiling, late addition, or bagging — it can be decocted with the other herbs; for taking as a powder, stir the powder directly into warm water or the prepared liquid. A basic home decoction: soak the Bai Ji slices with the other herbs 30 minutes, add water 2–3 cm above the herbs, bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer 20–30 minutes, and take the liquid. Different forms cannot be converted directly — the Bai Ji dose in a decoction differs from that in a medicinal dish; adjust to the purpose.

3. Dosage and Course

The common dose in traditional prescriptions is 6–15 g, adjusted to the pattern. The food-therapy dose is generally 2–5 g — smaller than the medicinal dose, since food therapy focuses on auxiliary regulation. Long-term continuous use is not advised: a continuous course should not exceed 2 weeks, to avoid the converging action retaining evil qi. Special groups — pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with liver or kidney impairment — should consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Heat-leaning constitutions with strong excess evil — such as high fever and constipation in the acute inflammation stage.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding — there is not enough safety research data; use with caution.
Children and the elderly — the body's metabolism is weaker; adjust the dose and use under a doctor's guidance.
Liver or kidney impairment — drug metabolism may be affected; consult a doctor.
Allergy to Orchidaceae (orchid-family) plants — an allergic reaction to Bai Ji may occur.
Those on anticoagulant or blood-pressure treatment — consult a doctor before use.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

There is no sufficient evidence for a general "food clash" between ordinary foods, but certain herbs can interact with specific drugs — anyone on medication should consult a doctor or pharmacist first. Bai Ji may interact with anticoagulants such as warfarin, affecting the drug's effect — when used together, monitor coagulation function closely; with blood-pressure and blood-sugar medications, monitor blood pressure and glucose to avoid affecting control; with sedatives, it may strengthen the sedative effect — adjust the dose. In daily diet, avoid overly spicy and stimulating foods — reducing irritation of the mucosa helps wound recovery.

3. Adverse Reactions and Overdose Risk

Bai Ji has few adverse reactions, but with overdose or improper use, stomach discomfort, nausea, and vomiting may appear; long-term use may cause dry, bound stools. If marked discomfort, allergy signs such as rash, itching, or breathing difficulty, persistent vomiting, altered consciousness, or rapidly worsening symptoms appear, stop at once and seek medical care — don't delay.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bai Ji

What is Bai Ji? Are San Qi and Xian He Cao the same?

Bai Ji (白及) is the dried tuber of Bletilla striata (Bletillae Rhizoma), a common Chinese herb centered on astringing and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and generating flesh. San Qi dissipates stasis and stops bleeding, leaning to invigorating blood. Xian He Cao astringes and stops bleeding, leaning to exhaustion. The three cannot be interchanged by equal weight. Write Bai Ji. Use caution in external contraction with excess heat.

What is the composition and traditional use of Bai Ji?

Pharmacopoeial name Bai Ji, Latin Bletilla striata. Bitter, sweet and astringent, slightly cold; enters the Lung, Liver and Stomach channels. It acts to astringe and stop bleeding, reduce swelling and generate flesh. It is used for hemoptysis and hematemesis, traumatic bleeding, abscesses and sores, and skin fissures. Astringes and stops bleeding and generates flesh.

How do you choose raw versus prepared? Can San Qi replace it?

Sliced and used raw or ground to powder. San Qi leans to dissipating stasis without specialized flesh-generating; it cannot replace the formula by equal weight. Commercial products follow regulated processing; do not self-modify.

What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a bleeding-stopping tea?

Decocted, 3-10 g, large dose up to 30 g. Modern use requires a practitioner to name the dose. It is not a four-season “bletilla tea.” External contraction with excess heat only injures further. Bleeding needs a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace assessment.

What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?

Contraindicated in external-contraction hemoptysis, early lung abscess, and excess heat in the Lung and Stomach. Pregnancy requires practitioner assessment. Stop if nausea or vomiting appears. Massive bleeding or high fever need immediate medical care.

Can Bai Ji astringe and stop bleeding, reduce swelling and generate flesh?

It can help hemoptysis and hematemesis, traumatic bleeding, abscesses and sores, and skin fissures. It astringes and stops bleeding, reduces swelling and generates flesh—not a specific for every bleeding or every sore.

Can Bai Ji be drunk daily as a bleeding-stopping or flesh-generating tea?

Internal-injury bleeding may enter a short formula; external contraction with excess heat only injures further. “Bletilla must stop bleeding” does not replace assessment. Astringing and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and generating flesh should be named by a practitioner with form and dose.

How do you choose among Bai Ji, San Qi, Xian He Cao, Di Yu and Ou Jie?

Bai Ji astringes and stops bleeding while reducing swelling and generating flesh, leaning to hemoptysis and sores. San Qi dissipates stasis and stops bleeding, leaning to invigorating blood. Xian He Cao astringes and stops bleeding, leaning to exhaustion. Di Yu cools the blood and stops bleeding, leaning to the lower burner. Ou Jie astringes and stops bleeding, leaning to various bleeding. Astringing and generating flesh favor Bai Ji; dissipating stasis favors San Qi; exhaustion favors Xian He Cao; lower burner favors Di Yu; various bleeding favors Ou Jie. They may be referenced after pattern differentiation; external contraction with excess heat forbids large Bai Ji.

How is Bai Ji commonly modified? What is the representative use?

Depends on the pattern. Hemoptysis may add San Qi; sores may be used externally. Write Bai Ji; do not replace the flesh-generating action with an equal weight of San Qi.

How do you choose and store Bai Ji?

Choose regulated Chinese medicinal materials with intact tubers. Moldy, damp, or abnormal-smelling lots are discarded. Store cool and dry. Buy “Bai Ji”; do not replace astringing and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and generating flesh with an equal weight of San Qi or Xian He Cao.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.