Gastrodia elata f. alba S. Chow; G. elata f. flavida S. Chow; G. elata f. glauca S. Chow; G. elata var. gracilis Pampanini; G. elata f. pilifera Tuyama; G. elata f. viridis (Makino) Makino; G. elata var. viridis (Makino) Makino; G. mairei Schlechter; G. viridis Makino.

Plants 30-100 cm, rarely to 200 cm tall. Rhizomes usually ellipsoid, 8-12 cm, stout, 3-5(-7) cm in diam., sometimes larger, fleshy, densely noded, with triangular or broadly ovate scales at nodes. Peduncle orange, yellow, grayish brown, or greenish, 25-80(-150) cm, with several membranous sheaths toward base; rachis 5-30(-50) cm, subdensely to densely 20-50-flowered; floral bracts oblong-lanceolate, 10-16 mm, often exceeding ovary, membranous, apex acuminate. Flowers suberect, resupinate, opening weakly, orange, pale yellow, bluish green, or yellowish white; pedicel and ovary 7-12 mm. Perianth tube urceolate, 8-10 × 5-7 mm, with a deep sinus between lateral sepals, base inflated, outer surface smooth; free portion of sepals ovate-triangular, 3-5 mm, apex obtuse; free portion of petals suboblong, smaller than sepal lobes, apex acute; lip obscurely 3-lobed, oblong-ovoid, 6-7 × 3-4 mm, glabrous, base clawed, apical margin irregularly fimbriate; claw with a pair of gibbous foldings; disk papillose, with a pair of fleshy reniform calli. Column 5-7 mm; column foot short. Capsule obovoid-ellipsoid, 14-18 × 8-9 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Jul. 2n = 24, 30, 36.

This species is widely cultivated for its tubers (tianma) that are used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of convulsive disorders such as epilepsy.

Sparse forests, open places in forests, forest margins, thicket margins; 400-3200 m. Anhui, N Fujian, Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, NE India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Russia (Far East)].