Asarum acuminatum
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| Asarum acuminatum | |
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| Full-plant view of Asarum acuminatum | |
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| Close-up view of flower | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Piperales |
| Family: | Aristolochiaceae |
| Genus: | Asarum |
| Species: | A. acuminatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Asarum acuminatum | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Homotypic synonyms
Heterotypic synonyms
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Asarum acuminatum, also known as hydra ginger, is a species of flowering plant in the birthwort family Aristolochiaceae. It is native to the north-central and east-central regions of the United States where it occurs primarily in rich deciduous forests.
Description
[edit]Asarum acuminatum is a long-lived perennial, herbaceous plant that persists by means of an underground rhizome. Its leaves are typically paired, broadly cordate, and arise directly from the rhizome. The flowers are solitary and borne at ground level. The calyx tube is approximately 10–20 mm long, with calyx lobes that are long-caudate (15–35 mm), initially erect to ascending at anthesis and becoming more spreading as the flower matures.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]Asarum acuminatum was originally described as Asarum canadense var. acuminatum by William Willard Ashe in 1897.[4] It was elevated to species rank by Eugene P. Bicknell in 1898.[1]
The circumscription of Asarum acuminatum remains an area of ongoing study. Some earlier treatments, such as Flora of North America, included it within Asarum canadense.[5] More recent treatments such as Plants of the World Online and Flora of the Southeastern United States accept it as a distinct species.[2][3] However, a 2025 master's thesis by Brett Lambert, using morphological and genome-wide SNP data, concluded that A. acuminatum substantially overlaps with A. canadense and is best treated as Asarum canadense var. acuminatum.[6]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Asarum acuminatum is native to the central and eastern United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.[2]
It occurs primarily in rich deciduous forests, often in mesic, shaded habitats with well-developed soils.[3]
Ecology
[edit]Like other species in the genus, Asarum acuminatum is a low-growing forest herb adapted to shaded environments. Flowering typically occurs from April to May.[3] Its ground-level flowers are thought to be pollinated by small insects, and its seeds are likely dispersed by ants (myrmecochory), a common trait in the genus.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Asarum acuminatum (Ashe) E.P.Bicknell". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Asarum acuminatum (Ashe) E.P.Bicknell". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Asarum acuminatum (Ashe) E.P. Bicknell". Flora of the Southeastern United States. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "Asarum canadense var. acuminatum Ashe". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Whittemore, Alan T.; Mesler, Michael R.; Lu, Karen L. (1997). "Asarum canadense". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 7 August 2026 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ↑ Lambert, Brett Shawn (2025). An integrative approach to delimiting the Canadian Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense (Master of Science thesis). The Ohio State University.