Arisaema

File:Whipcord Cobra Lily.jpg

Arisaema tortuosum

Arisaema is a large and diverse genus of the flowering plant family Araceae. The largest concentration of species is in China and Japan, with other species native to other parts of southern Asia as well as eastern and central Africa, Mexico and eastern North America.<ref name=9i9i9i9i9i99i9i>Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families</ref> Asiatic species are often called cobra lilies, while western species are often called jack-in-the-pulpit; both names refer to the distinctive appearance of the flower, which consists of an erect central spadix rising from a spathe.<ref>Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.</ref><ref>Flora China Vol. 23 Page 43, 天南星属 tian nan xing shu, Arisaema Martius, Flora. 14: 459. 1831. </ref><ref>Flora of North America, Vol. 22, Arisaema Martius, Flora. 14: 459. 1831.</ref>

Classification and relationships

The closest relatives of Arisaema appear to be Pinellia and Typhonium (although the latter as defined in 2004 seems to be paraphyletic, having given rise to Arisaema and other genera).<ref name="renner">Template:Citation</ref> One unusual trait shared by all Arisaema species, and not those of other genera, is sequential hermaphroditism. Arisaema plants are typically male when small, and female or hermaphroditic when large, with a single plant capable of changing sex based on nutrition<ref name="renner"/> and genetics,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and perhaps changing sex several times during its long life (20 years or more).<ref name="renner"/>

Sections

A phylogenetic study in 2016 by Ohi-toma et. al recognized 15 sections in the genus.<ref name="Ohi-Toma Wu Murata Murata pp. 100–114">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Species

See: List of Arisaema species

Plants of the World Online accepts around 212 accepted species Template:As of.<ref name="s116">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Bibliography

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External links

• Arisaema information and links
• Arisaema links and information
• Arisaema pictures
• Jack in the Pulpit information
• Arisaema Home Page - Japanese Arisaema pictures
• Template:Cite journal