The difference between Gastrodia elata and Ginseng

1. Plant Differences

The Gastrodia elata plant is 30 to 100 cm tall, sometimes up to 2 meters. Its rhizome is thick, tuberous, oval or nearly dumbbell-shaped, fleshy, 8 to 12 cm long, 3 to 5 cm in diameter, and sometimes larger. The stems are erect and are orange, yellow, gray-brown or blue-green in color, with no green leaves.

The main root of ginseng is 30 to 60 centimeters high, thick, fleshy, yellow-white in color, and has an upright, cylindrical stem. The leaves are palmately compound with 3 to 5 leaflets. The leaves are elliptical or obovate, 4 to 15 cm long, 2 to 6.5 cm wide, and have fine serrations on the edges.

2. Flower Differences

Gastrodia elata racemes, 5 to 30 cm long. The inflorescence contains 30 to 50 small flowers. The bracts of the flowers are oblong-lanceolate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, membranous, and twisted. The flowers are orange-yellow, yellow-white, blue-green or light yellow.

Ginseng blooms in summer, with umbels, single and terminal among the leaves, peduncle 30 cm long, each inflorescence with 4 to 40 small flowers, bracts linear-lanceolate, 5 petals, ovate, entire, and the flowers are light yellow-green.