Spiranthes, Pan Long Shen 盘龙滲

Lady’s Tresses, Spiral Orchid
Pan Long Shen (TCM)
Picture Spiranthes sinensis
Edwards, S.T., Botanical Register, vol. 7 (1815)

Picture Spiranthes sinensis flower
(Photo by Alpsdake) (Wikimedia)

Picture Spiranthes sinensis root from the Chengdu Herbal Medicine Market (Adam, 2016)

Botanical name:


Spiranthes sinensis, S. australis
S. autumnalis and S. spiralis (Lady’s Tresses) have been used similarly in Europe.

Parts used:


Root, or Whole herb with Root

Temperature & Taste:


Neutral/slightly Cool, Moist. Sweet

Uses:


1. Nourishes Yin, Tonifies Qi:
-Debility, Weakness, Convalescence
-Yin Deficient Heat, Hectic Fever, Tuberculosis
-Lumbago with lower limb weakness
-Impotence (TCM); ‘Provokes Venery’ (Gerard)
-Neurasthenia
-Postpartum Deficiency
-Diabetes, Thirst
-Hemoptysis

2. Cools the Blood, Resists Poison:
-Sore Throat, Tonsillitis, Cough
-Childhood Fever
-Chronic Dysentery, Meningitis (Japan)
-Gonorrhea (China)

3. Astringes Essence:
-Spermatorrhea, Nocturnal Emission
-Leukorrhea

4. Externally:
-Venomous Snake Bite
-Abscesses, Carbuncles, Boils, Toxic Sores, Herpes
-Burns and Scalds
-Eczema, especially of the scalp


Dose:


Powder: 1–3 grams
Decoction: 9–30 grams

Substitute:


Asparagus root

Main Combinations:


1. Nourish Yin and Qi:
i. Spiranthes cooked with Chicken or Pork
ii. Spiranthes with Astragalus Huang Qi, Dioscorea Shan Yao
2. Kidney Tonic soup to maintain Health, cook Spiranthes with Pork as a soup. (China)
3. Diabetes:
i. Spiranthes (30 grams) with Pork Pancreas, Gingko (30 grams) (Fujian Folk Herbs)
ii. Spiranthes with Dioscorea Shan Yao, Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang, Cornus Shan Zhu Yu
4. Tuberculosis, Hemoptysis, Spiranthes with Eclipta Han Lian Cao
5. Sore Throat or Childhood Fever, Spiranthes with Forsythia Lian Qiao and Licorice
6. Gonorrhea, Spiranthes cooked with Pig Stomach and Salt, divided into 2 portions to be taken morning and night. (Fujian Folk Herbs)
7. Carbuncle, Abscess, Boil, Herpes, put the root in sesame oil, apply.
8. Snake Bite, mix Spiranthes root powder with Realgar and Wine and apply topically. (Jiangxi Folk Herbs)
9. Tonsillitis, boil Spiranthes (9–15 grams) and drink the decoction.
10. Burns, grind Spiranthes (30 grams) and make a paste with 5 earthworms, apply topically.

Major Formulas:



Cautions:


None noted.

Main Preparations used:



GENERAL / REVIEW:
–Pharmacological and Chemical Potential of Spiranthes sinensis (Orchidaceae): A Narrative Review.

ANTIOXIDANT:
–In vitro antioxidant activities, free radical scavenging capacity, and tyrosinase inhibitory of flavonoid compounds and ferulic acid from Spiranthes sinensis (Pers.) Ames.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Spiranthes sinensis Suppresses Production of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators by Down-Regulating the NF-κB Signaling Pathway and Up-Regulating HO-1/Nrf2 Anti-Oxidant Protein

TYROSINASE INHIBITORY:
–In vitro antioxidant activities, free radical scavenging capacity, and tyrosinase inhibitory of flavonoid compounds and ferulic acid from Spiranthes sinensis (Pers.) Ames.