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Arisaema flavum

Common name:		Family:	Araceae
Author:	(Forssk.)Schott.	Botanical references:	91, 200
Synonyms:
Known 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.
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas to China. N. Africa - Yemen.
Habitat:	Mountain slopes, farmland edges and roadsides in sub-alpine steppe, 3500 - 4300 metres in Tibet[91]. Locally common in Kashmir on humus-rich soils[145].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	flavum = yellow;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Arales. Arum family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.35m. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from June to July. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Flies. The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable[272]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antispasmodic; Expectorant.

Expectorant. It is used in the treatment of chronic tracheitis, bronchiectasis, tetanus and epilepsy[91].

Other Uses

Insecticide.

Used as a pesticide[91]. No further details are given, but the report might be referring to the tubers.

Cultivation details

Prefers a cool moist peaty soil in the bog, woodland garden or a sheltered border in semi-shade[134, 200]. Prefers a loamy or peaty soil[1] and will tolerate a sunny position if the soil is moist but not water-logged and the position is not too exposed[1, 200]. This species is the most drought tolerant member of the genus.
Plants are nearly hardy in Britain, they normally succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country[1]. Only plant out full sized tubers and mulch them with organic matter in the winter[200]. Plants need protection from slugs[200].
Most species in this genus are dioecious, but they are sometimes monoecious and can also change sex from year to year. The flowers of this species are usually either monoecious or all male[266].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame[134]. Stored seed remains viable for at least a year and can be sown in spring in the greenhouse but it will probably require a period of cold stratification. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 6 months at 15°c[134]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least a coupe of years until the corms are more than 20mm in diameter. Plant out into their permanent positions whilst they are dormant.
Division of tubers when the plant dies down in late summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Araceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[91] Zhang Jingwei. Alpine Plants of China. Gordon & Breach. New York. 1982 ISBN 0-677-60190-5
A lovely book with nice pictures. Gives habitats and some details of plant uses.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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