Arisaema
Encyclopedia
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 150 species in the flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
family Araceae
Araceae
Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like bract. Also known as the Arum family, members are often colloquially...
, native to eastern and central Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Its species are often called Cobra lilies, particularly the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
tic species. A familiar species in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
is Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the pulpit).
Another species Arisaema tortuosum is found in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and northern parts of India. This is commonly called whipcord cobra lily and by many other names in the Indian subcontinent.
Classification and relationships
The closest relatives of Arisaema appear to be PinelliaPinellia
Pinellia is a genus of plants in the family Araceae native to Asia. Its species are commonly called Green Dragons due to the color and shape of the inflorescence, which possesses a green, hooded spathe from which protrudes a long, tongue-like extension of the spadix...
and Typhonium
Typhonium
Typhonium is a genus in the Araceae family endemic to tropical Asia, the South Pacific, and Australia. It consists of approximately 50 species that are typically found growing in wooded areas.-Selected species:*Typhonium acetosella...
(although the latter as defined in 2004 seems to be paraphyletic, having given rise to Arisaema and other genera). One unusual trait shared by all Arisaema species, and not those of other genera, is the sex change. Arisaema plants are typically male when small, and female or hermaphraditic when large, with a single plant capable of changing sex based on nutrition and genetics, and perhaps changing sex several times during its long life (20 years or more).
Selected species
- Arisaema addis-ababense
- Arisaema album
- Arisaema amurense Maxim.
- Arisaema angustatum Fr. et Sav.
- Arisaema atrorubens - Jack-in-the-pulpit, Indian turnip
- Arisaema auriculatum
- Arisaema biauriculatum
- Arisaema candidissimumArisaema candidissimumArisaema candidissimum is a species of flowering plant in the arum family , originating in western China...
- White jack - Arisaema concinnum Schott
- Arisaema consanguineum Schott
- Arisaema costatum (Wall.) Mart
- Arisaema daochengense
- Arisaema dracontiumArisaema dracontiumArisaema dracontium is a herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Arisaema and the family Araceae. It is native to North America from Quebec to Minnesota South to Florida and Texas, where it is found growing in damp woods. Plants grow 20–50 cm tall when in bloom and after flowering reach...
- Green dragon - Arisaema elephas Buchet
- Arisaema engleri
- Arisaema erubescens (Wall.) Schott
- Arisaema exappendiculatum
- Arisaema filiforme
- Arisaema fimbriatum Masters
- Arisaema flavumArisaema flavumArisaema flavum is a species of flowering plant native to southern Ethiopia. It is a famine food, eaten during periods of crop failure or famine in the Konso special woreda, where it is endemic. It is preferred to other species of Arisaema due to its relatively acceptable taste, can be prepared...
(Forsk.) Schott - Arisaema grapsospadix
- Arisaema griffithii Schott
- Arisaema heterophyllum Tian nan xing in Chinese
- Arisaema hunanense
- Arisaema jacquemontii Blume
- Arisaema kishidae
- Arisaema kiushianum Makino
- Arisaema lidaense J. Murata et SKWu
- Arisaema lihenganum
- Arisaema limbatum
- Arisaema monophyllum Nakai
- Arisaema mooneyanum
- Arisaema nepenthoides
- Arisaema odoratum
- Arisaema peninsulae Nakai
- Arisaema propinquum
- Arisaema rhizomatum
- Arisaema ringens (Thunb.) Schott
- Arisaema robustum
- Arisaema ruwenzoricum
- Arisaema sazensoo
- Arisaema serratum (Thunb.) Schott -
- Arisaema sikokianumArisaema sikokianumArisaema sikokianum is a herbaceous perennial plant. An unusual woodland plant noted for its unmistakable smoky-purple base, snow-white cup and large hood with purple, green and white stripes. Found only in moist, shaded areas in Japan. It is distantly related to Arisaema triphyllum which is...
Fr. et Sav. - Gaudy jack - Arisaema speciosum - Cobra Lilly
- Arisaema stewardsonii - Northern Jack-in-the-pulpit
- Arisaema taiwanense
- Arisaema thunbergii Blume
- Arisaema thunbergii subsp. urashimaArisaema thunbergii subsp. urashimaArisaema thunbergii subsp. urashima or Arisaema urashima is a herbaceous perennial plant. It is widespread through the woodlands of Japan and is one of the most curious-flowered arisaemas. This variety represent the most southerly population of A. thunbergbii...
- Arisaema tortuosumArisaema tortuosumArisaema tortuosum is a plant species in the family Araceae. It has a distinctive purple or green whip-like spadix which arises from the mouth of its "jack-in the-pulpit" flower and may be up to 30 cm long. Flowers may be male or bisexual. The clustered fruits are green at first, ripening to red...
(Wallich) Schott - Whipcord cobra lily - Arisaema triphyllumArisaema triphyllumArisaema triphyllum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a corm. It is a highly variable species typically growing from 30 to 65 cm in height with three parted leaves and flowers contained in a spadix that is covered by a hood...
- Small Jack-in-the-pulpit - Arisaema undulatifolium Nakai
- Arisaema undulatifolium var. limbatum Ohashi et J. Murata
- Arisaema utile
- Arisaema wattii J. D. Hook.
- Arisaema yamatense (Nakai) Nakai - Yamatense Cobra Lilly
External links
- Arisaema information and links
- Arisaema links and information
- Arisaema pictures
- Jack in the Pulpit information
- Arisaema Home Page - Japanese Arisaema pictures