Arisaema Explained

Arisaema is a large and diverse genus of the flowering plant family Araceae.

Distribution

The largest concentration of species is in China and Japan, with other species native to other parts of southern Asia as well as eastern and central Africa, Mexico and eastern North America.[1]

Asiatic species are often called cobra lilies, while western species are often called jack-in-the-pulpit; both names refer to the distinctive appearance of the flower, which consists of an erect central spadix rising from a spathe.[2] [3] [4]

Classification and relationships

The closest relatives of Arisaema appear to be Pinellia and Typhonium (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 or act of Sequential hermaphroditism. Arisaema plants are typically male when small, and female or hermaphroditic 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).

Sections

A phylogenetic study in 2016 by Ohi-toma et. al recognized 15 sections in the genus.[5]

Image Section Type species
Arisaema anomalum
Arisaema speciosum
Arisaema laminatum
Arisaema clavatum
Arisaema decipiens
Arisaema flavum
Arisaema fimbriatum
Arisaema thunbergii
Arisaema franchetianum
Arisaema nepenthoides
Arisaema odoratum
Arisaema serratum
Arisaema formosanum
Arisaema jaquemontii
Arisaema tortuosum

Species

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=15221 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=102590 Flora China Vol. 23 Page 43, 天南星属 tian nan xing shu, Arisaema Martius, Flora. 14: 459. 1831.
  4. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=102590 Flora of North America, Vol. 22, Arisaema Martius, Flora. 14: 459. 1831.
  5. Ohi-Toma . Tetsuo . Wu . Sugong . Murata . Hiroko . Murata . Jin . An updated genus-wide phylogenetic analysis of Arisaema (Araceae) with reference to sections . Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society . Oxford University Press (OUP) . 182 . 1 . 2016-06-30 . 0024-4074 . 10.1111/boj.12459 . 100–114. free .
  6. Wang. Xiao-Yun. Du. Wen-Yan. Ma. Zheng-Xu. 2019-03-12. A new species and a new combination of the genus Arisaema (Araceae) from China. Phytotaxa. en. 395. 4. 265–276. 10.11646/phytotaxa.395.4.2. 91843915 . 1179-3163.