Asarum caudatum (British Columbia wild ginger, western wild ginger, or long-tailed wild ginger) is a plant native to rich moist forests of western North America. It has heart-shaped leaves and a three-lobed purplish flower.
| Asarum caudatum | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Piperales |
| Family: | Aristolochiaceae |
| Genus: | Asarum |
| Species: | A. caudatum
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| Binomial name | |
| Asarum caudatum | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Description
editGrowing from a long rhizome, the reniform (kidney/heart-shaped) leaves range from 2–10 centimetres (3⁄4–4 inches) in length. The leaves are found in colonies or clusters as the rhizome spreads, forming mats.[3] The leaves emit a ginger aroma when rubbed.[4] Blooming from April to July (about a month earlier in British Columbia),[4] the flower sits at the end of a 15 cm (6 in) leafstalk, often on the ground, hidden by the leaves.[5] The flowers are hirsute (hairy), cup-shaped, and brown-purple to green-yellow, terminating in three, long, gracefully curved lobes.[3][5]
Similar species include A. hartwegii, A. lemmonii, and A. marmoratum.[5]
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Flowers -
Leaves -
Leaves close up
Etymology
editCaudatum comes from the Latin cauda, meaning tail.[6] This refers to the tail-like shape of the flower's calyx.
Distribution and habitat
editAsarum caudatum is found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California,[7] Idaho, and Montana[3] in moist, shaded environments. Its northernmost populations occur near Meziadin Lake.[8] It is a typical herb found in the understory of mixed conifer forests under 670 metres (2,200 ft) in elevation, and is often a dominant plant.[9][10]
Ecology
editA. caudatum reproduces rhizomatously, meaning many mats are formed by one clonal plant connected by a rhizome. It can also reproduce sexually, with its seeds dispersed by ants. The flowers are pollinated by flies. However, cross-pollination is rare. Ants are attracted by a fatty appendage attached to the seed.[11] The ants carry the entire package back to their colonies. 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.[4]
Conservation
editAsarum 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.
Toxicity
editMembers of the family Aristolochiaceae contain aristolochic acid, which has been recognized as a carcinogen.[12]
Uses
editThe root is edible.[13] Native Americans used the plant for various medicinal purposes.[13]
Some describe using A. caudatum as a ginger substitute[5] and as a tea with medicinal properties. In a study on its effects on fungus, A. caudatum had antifungal properties when tested against nine fungal species.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Asarum caudatum". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2007-12-15.[permanent dead link]
- ^ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 5 March 2016
- ^ a b c Whittemore, Alan T.; Mesler, Michael R.; Lu, Karen L. (2006). "Asarum caudatum". Flora of North America. Vol. 3. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b c US Forest Service Fire Ecology
- ^ a b c d Spellenberg, Richard (2001) [1979]. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region (rev ed.). Knopf. pp. 345–346. ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.
- ^ "Asarum caudatum - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org.
- ^ "Calflora: Asarum caudatum". Calflora. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ https://inaturalist.ca/observations/98150084 Western Wild Ginger at inaturalist.ca
- ^ "Plant Propagation Protocol for Asarum caudatum" (PDF). University of Washington. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ Mesler, Michael R.; Lu, Karen. "Asarum caudatum". Jepson eFlora. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ "Wild Ginger". Evergreen.edu. The Evergreen State College. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ 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. PMID 12426949.
- ^ a b Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.
- ^ 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. PMID 7898123.
External links
edit
Media related to Asarum caudatum at Wikimedia Commons- Roché, Cindy Talbott; Lang, Frank A. "Green-flowered Wild Ginger" (PDF). Native Plant Society of Oregon. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- Profile at USDA PLANTS Database
- Distribution Map from Flora of North America at efloras.org
