View source for Asarum

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Asarum
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=1: 442. 175
}}{{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gen. Pl. ed.
|place=5, 201. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Wild-ginger; asaret;gingembre sauvage
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Aristolochiaceae;Asarum
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Aristolochiaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Asarum]]</div></div>
|etymology=Ancient Greek asaron, name of an unknown plant
|volume=Volume 3
|mention_page=
|treatment_page=
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties="herb duration;herb duration;herb architecture;stem location"><b>Herbs,</b> perennial, deciduous, rhizomatous, without aerial stems.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="leaf arrangement;leaf arrangement"><b>Leaves </b>alternate (sometimes appearing opposite because of crowding), 2-ranked;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="stipule presence">stipules absent;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="foliage leaf architecture;foliage leaf presence;foliage scale-leaf architecture;foliage scale-leaf architecture;foliage scale-leaf shape;foliage scale-leaf presence">petiolate foliage leaves and sessile, triangular scale-leaves both present.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties="leaf-blade texture;leaf-blade texture;leaf-blade pubescence"><b>Leaf-</b>blade membranous or leathery, pubescent at least abaxially and on margins.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="inflorescence position or structure subtype;flower architecture or arrangement or growth form"><b>Inflorescences </b>terminal on rhizome, flowers solitary;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="beak presence">bracts absent.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="sepal fusion;sepal coloration;sepal coloration;sepal coloration;sepal coloration;sepal pubescence;inner surface pubescence;inner surface architecture or pubescence or relief;inner surface architecture or pubescence or relief;rib fragility;rib dehiscence or orientation;ridge position"><b>Flowers:</b> sepals distinct, usually mixture of white, green, tan, red, or purple, proximally touching valvately and forming well-de tube, externally usually villous, inner surface strigose, smooth or with weak longitudinal ribs, never with network of low ridges;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties="petal prominence;petal presence;petal presence">vestigial petals present or absent;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties="stamen quantity;stamen fusion">stamens 12, distinct;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="filament length or size">filaments longer than pollen-sacs;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s11" data-properties="terminal appendage development">terminal appendage of anther well developed;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s12" data-properties="ovary position;ovary architecture or structure in adjective form">ovary inferior, 6-locular;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s13" data-properties="style fusion">styles connate in column.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s14" data-properties="capsule texture;capsule dehiscence"><b>Capsule </b>fleshy, dehiscence irregular.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s15" data-properties="appendage texture"><b>Seeds </b>ovoid, not winged, with fleshy appendage.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s16" data-properties="seed shape;seed architecture;x chromosome quantity">x = 13.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=North America;Eurasia
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 10 (6 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>The species seem amply distinct, but herbarium material can be difficult to key for several reasons. First, the diagnostic colors of some organs (especially of the connective and the inner hairs of the calyx) often darken on drying. Second, immature flowers and young fruit are superficially similar to mature flowers, but color and posture of floral organs may be different at those stages. For instance, posture of the distal portion of sepals at anthesis (whether erect, spreading, or reflexed) is diagnostic for the species, but sepals in all species are erect in bud and in fruit. Third, as in Hexastylis, distortion of the flower in pressing makes it difficult to interpret calyx structure. In particular, the distinction between proximal portions of the sepals, which meet valvately to form a well-defined false calyx tube, and distal portions, which do not, is obvious in fresh material but often unclear in the herbarium.</p><!--
--><p>The flowers of Asarum are predominantly self-pollinated, but they are occasionally visited by mycotrophic flies (K. L. Lu 1982).</p>
|tables=
|references={{Treatment/Reference
|id=mesler1990a
|text=Mesler, M. R. and K. L. Lu. 1990. The status of Asarum marmoratum (Aristolochiaceae). Brittonia 42: 33-37.
}}
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Adaxial leaf surface almost always with white or silvery variegations; sterile tip of connective on inner stamens at least as long as pollen sacs; underground stems erect or ascending, deeply buried, internodes 0.2–1.5 cm.
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Leaf surface never variegate; sterile tip of connective on inner stamens shorter than (rarely about as long as) pollen sacs; rhizomes horizontal, shallow (deeply buried in A. wagneri), internodes 0.5–6.5 cm.
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|False calyx tube subglobose, inner surface dark red with purple hairs; distal part of sepal tan or greenish (inner surface rarely red proximally), erect or spreading at anthesis, 17–52 mm; marginal hairs of leaf ± perpendicular.
|[[Asarum marmoratum|Asarum marmoratum]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|False calyx tube cylindric, inner surface white with brownish purple stripes and white hairs (turning brown with age); distal part of sepal reddish, spreading perpendicularly or reflexed at anthesis (but erect in bud and fruit), 12–27 mm; marginal hairs of leaf strongly curved toward apex.
|[[Asarum hartwegii|Asarum hartwegii]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Flower descending; divergent part of sepal strongly reflexed at anthesis, 4–8 mm, acute to apiculate or short-acuminate.
|[[Asarum lemmonii|Asarum lemmonii]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Flower horizontal to erect; divergent part of sepal spreading or reflexed at anthesis, 6–75 mm, apiculate to acuminate or filiform-attenuate.
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Flowers horizontal; divergent part of sepal (11–)30–75 mm; leaves cordate.
|[[Asarum caudatum|Asarum caudatum]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Flowers erect or ascending; divergent part of sepal 6–24 mm; leaves cordate-reniform to reniform.
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Adaxial surface of distal sepals purple; false calyx tube cylindric, outer surface usually tan or purplish; e North America.
|[[Asarum canadense|Asarum canadense]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Adaxial surface of distal sepals white or light green (at least distally); false calyx tube subglobose to cylindric-urceolate or urceolate, outer surface light green; s Oregon.
|[[Asarum wagneri|Asarum wagneri]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Asarum
|author=Alan T. Whittemore; Michael R. Mesler; Karen L. Lu
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Aristolochiaceae
|distribution=North America;Eurasia
|reference=mesler1990a
|publication title=Sp. Pl.;Gen. Pl. ed.
|publication year=;1754
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/287ef3db526bd807d435a3c7423ef2df1e951227/V3/V3_663.xml
|genus=Asarum
|appendage texture=fleshy
|beak presence=absent
|capsule dehiscence=irregular
|capsule texture=fleshy
|filament length or size=longer
|flower architecture or arrangement or growth form=solitary
|foliage leaf architecture=petiolate
|foliage leaf presence=absent
|foliage scale-leaf architecture=sessile;petiolate
|foliage scale-leaf presence=absent
|foliage scale-leaf shape=triangular
|herb architecture=rhizomatous
|herb duration=deciduous;perennial
|inflorescence position or structure subtype=terminal
|inner surface architecture or pubescence or relief=with weak longitudinal ribs;smooth
|inner surface pubescence=strigose
|leaf arrangement=2-ranked;alternate
|leaf-blade pubescence=pubescent
|leaf-blade texture=leathery;membranous
|ovary architecture or structure in adjective form=6-locular
|ovary position=inferior
|petal presence=absent;absent
|petal prominence=vestigial
|rib dehiscence or orientation=longitudinal
|rib fragility=weak
|ridge position=low
|seed architecture=not winged
|seed shape=ovoid
|sepal coloration=purple;red;purple;red
|sepal fusion=distinct
|sepal pubescence=villous
|stamen fusion=distinct
|stamen quantity=12
|stem location=aerial
|stipule presence=absent
|style fusion=connate
|terminal appendage development=developed
|x chromosome quantity=13
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Aristolochiaceae]]