Bergenia crassifolia, the badan, Siberian tea, Mongolian tea, leather bergenia, winter-blooming bergenia, heartleaf bergenia, elephant's ears or elephant-ears, is a plant species in the genus Bergenia

Bergenia

Bergenia is a genus of ten species of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae, native to central Asia, from Afghanistan to China and the Himalayan region...

. It is about 12 inches tall. The leaves are spoon-shaped. One cultivar is Bergenia crassifolia 'Autumn Red.'

B. crassifolia contains the polyphenols arbutin

Arbutin

Arbutin is both an ether and a glycoside; a glycosylated hydroquinone extracted from bearberry plant in the genus Arctostaphylos. It inhibits tyrosinase and thus prevents the formation of melanin. Arbutin is therefore used as a skin-lightening agent. Arbutin is found in wheat, and is concentrated...

, kaempferol 3-lathyroside, catechin 3-O-gallate, tannin

Tannin

A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...

s and the pectin

Pectin

Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot...

 bergenan.