Gastrodia elata is one of those few. Many are unaware that the valuable herbal remedy tianma from traditional Chinese medicine is in fact the tuber of an orchid, Gastrodia elata. Research has shown that orchids of the genus Gastrodia have many medicinal uses, but currently only Gastrodia elata can be farmed and mass produced, making it a medicinal cash crop.
很多人不知道，中藥裡的珍貴藥材「天麻」是蘭花的塊莖，屬於赤箭屬的一種，研究已經證實赤箭屬植物中很多都具有藥用功能，目前卻只有天麻可以用人工培育、量產，成為高經濟價值藥材。