Araceae FAMILY

Arisaema thunbergii

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water.

Botanical Description

Arisaema thunbergii is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a tuber that is usually renewed seasonally. The plant produces a solitary leaf 25 - 50cm tall and a flowering stem 15 - 35cm tall. The tuber also produces some tubercles around its base - these become separated from the old tuber at the end of the season, growing on in subsequent years to form new plants[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for use in Chinese Traditional Medicine.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeE. Asia - Japan, Korea, Taiwan.

HabitatForests, thickets; at elevations from near sea level to 1,100 metres in Taiwan[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ].