Asarum caudatum

Asarum caudatum

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Piperales
Family: Aristolochiaceae
Genus: Asarum
Species: A. caudatum
Binomial name
Asarum caudatum
Lindl.
Synonyms[2]
  • Asarum hookeri Fielding & Gardner
  • Asarum rotundifolium Raf.

Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wild ginger, western wild ginger, or long-tailed wild ginger) is native to rich moist forests of western North America from British Columbia to California and as far east as western Montana.

Asarum caudatum is an evergreen with flowers that develop from March to August.[3] The flowers are distinct hirsute (hairy) cup-shaped, that are brown-purple to green-yellow which terminate in three long gracefully curved lobes, often concealed by leaves. The long rhizomes give rise to persistent reniform (kidney/heart shaped) leaves. Leaves are found in colonies or clusters as the rhizome spreads, forming mats.[4] The leaves emit a ginger aroma when rubbed.[5]

Etymology

Asarum caudatum comes from the Latin word "cauda" meaning tail. This refers to the tail-like shape of the flower's calyx.

Ecology and distribution

Asarum caudatum is found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California,[6] Idaho, and Montana[4] in moist shaded environments. It is a typical herb found in the understory of mixed conifer forests under 2,200 feet and is often a dominant plant.[7][8] It reproduces rhizomatously, meaning many mats are formed by one clonal plant connected by a rhizome. Asarum caudatum can also reproduce sexually, with its seeds dispersed by ants. Their flowers are pollinated by flies. However cross-pollination is rare. Ants are attracted by a fatty appendage attached to the seed.[9]

The ants carry the entire package back to their colony. The seed is often dropped outside the nest once the ant realizes only the appendage is edible. Due to the costs of producing seeds with an appendage to attract ants, it is more energetically favorable for the plant to reproduce rhizomatously.

Other uses

Some describe using Asarum caudatum as a ginger substitute and as a tea with medicinal properties. Members of the family Aristolochiaceae contain aristolochic acid, which has been recognized as a carcinogen.[10] In a study on its effects on fungus, Asarum caudatum had antifungal properties when tested against nine fungal species.[11]

Conservation

Asarum caudatum is not listed a species of concern. However the habitat in which it is native is threatened in some regions by logging and other land uses.

References

  1. ↑ "Asarum caudatum". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  2. ↑ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 5 March 2016
  3. ↑ Roché, Cindy Talbott; Lang, Frank A. "Green-flowered Wild Ginger" (PDF). Native Plant Society of Oregon. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 Whittemore, Alan T. ; Mesler, Michael R.; Lu, Karen L. (2006). "Asarum caudatum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America 3. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  5. ↑ US Forest Service Fire Ecology
  6. ↑ Calflora http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=733. Retrieved March 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Plant Propagation Protocol for Asarum caudatum" (PDF). University of Washington. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  8. ↑ Mesler, Michael R.; Lu, Karen. "Asarum caudatum". Jepson eFlora. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Wild Ginger". Evergreen.edu. The Evergreen State College. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  10. ↑ Schaneberg, B. T.; Applequist, W. L.; Khan, I. A. (2002). "Determination of aristolochic acid I and II in North American species of Asarum and Aristolochia". Die Pharmazie 57 (10): 686–689. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  11. ↑ McCutcheon Towers, A. R.; Ellisa, S. M.; Hancock, R. E. W.; Towers, G. H. N. (1994). "Antifungal screening of medicinal plants of British Columbian native peoples". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 44 (3): 157–169. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(94)01183-4.

External links


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