The Enigmatic Allure of Arisaema: A Personal Exploration
My name is Ferb Vu, and I’m captivated by the botanical world, particularly by the intriguing genus Arisaema. These plants, often known as “cobra lilies” or “jack-in-the-pulpit,” possess a unique morphology and fascinating life cycle that has drawn me to their study. Native to various regions across the globe, from the temperate forests of North America to the subtropical mountains of Asia, Arisaema species exhibit a remarkable diversity in form and color.
A Diverse and Global Genus
The genus Arisaema encompasses approximately 200 recognized species. This extensive group displays a striking array of characteristics, ranging from the demure elegance of Arisaema triphyllum with its three-lobed leaves and striped spathe, to the flamboyant and almost otherworldly appearance of Arisaema speciosum, boasting a deep purple spathe and a long, thread-like spadix.
- Arisaema abei Seriz.
- Arisaema acuminatum Small
- Arisaema aequinoctiale Nakai & F.Maek.
- Arisaema agasthyanum Sivad. & C.S.Kumar
- Arisaema album N.E.Br.
- Arisaema amurense Maxim.
- Arisaema anatinum Brugg.
- Arisaema angustatum Franch. & Sav.
- Arisaema anomalum Hemsl.
- Arisaema aprile J.Murata
- Arisaema aridum H.Li
- Arisaema arunachalensis Nangkar, A.P.Das & Tag
- Arisaema asperatum N.E.Br.
- Arisaema attenuatum E.Barnes & C.E.C.Fisch.
- Arisaema auriculatum Buchet
- Arisaema austroyunnanense H.Li
- Arisaema averyanovii V.D.Nguyen & P.C.Boyce
- Arisaema balansae Engl.
- Arisaema bannaense H.Li
- Arisaema barbatum Buchet
- Arisaema barnesii C.E.C.Fisch.
- Arisaema bathycoleum Hand.-Mazz.
- Arisaema bockii Engl.
- Arisaema bogneri P.C.Boyce & H.Li
- Arisaema bonatianum Engl.
- Arisaema bottae Schott
- Arisaema brinchangense Y.W.Low, Scherber. & Gusman
- Arisaema brucei H.Li, R.Li & J.Murata
- Arisaema burmaense P.C.Boyce & H.Li
- Arisaema calcareum H.Li
- Arisaema candidissimum W.W.Sm.
- Arisaema caudatum Engl.
- Arisaema chauvanminhii Luu, Q.D.Nguyen & N.L.Vu
- Arisaema chenii Z.X.Ma & Yi Jun Huang
- Arisaema chumponense Gagnep.
- Arisaema ciliatum H.Li
- Arisaema clavatum Buchet
- Arisaema claviforme Brugg., J.Ponert, Rybková & Vuong
- Arisaema concinnum Schott
- Arisaema condaoense V.D.Nguyen
- Arisaema consanguineum Schott
- Arisaema constrictum E.Barnes
- Arisaema cordatum N.E.Br.
- Arisaema costatum (Wall.) Mart.
- Arisaema cucullatum M.Hotta
- Arisaema dahaiense H.Li
- Arisaema decipiens Schott
- Arisaema dracontium (L.) Schott
- Arisaema echinatum (Wall.) Schott
- Arisaema echinoides H.Li
- Arisaema ehimense J.Murata & J.Ohno
- Arisaema elephas Buchet
- Arisaema enneaphyllum Hochst. ex A.Rich.
- Arisaema erubescens (Wall.) Schott
- Arisaema exappendiculatum H.Hara
- Arisaema fargesii Buchet
- Arisaema filiforme (Reinw.) Blume
- Arisaema fimbriatum Mast.
- Arisaema fischeri Manudev & Nampy
- Arisaema flavum (Forssk.) Schott
- Arisaema formosanum (Hayata) Hayata
- Arisaema franchetianum Engl.
- Arisaema fraternum Schott
- Arisaema galeatum N.E.Br.
- Arisaema garrettii Gagnep.
- Arisaema ghaticum (Sardesai, S.P.Gaikwad & S.R.Yadav) Punekar & Kumaran
- Arisaema grapsospadix Hayata
- Arisaema griffithii Schott
- Arisaema guangxiense G.W.Hu & H.Li
- Arisaema guanwuense S.S.Ying
- Arisaema hainanense C.Y.Wu ex H.Li, Y.Shiao & S.L.Tseng
- Arisaema handelii Stapf ex Hand.-Mazz.
- Arisaema heterocephalum Koidz.
- Arisaema heterophyllum Blume
- Arisaema honbaense Luu, Tich, G.Tran & V.D.Nguyen
- Arisaema hunanense Hand.-Mazz.
- Arisaema ilanense J.C.Wang
- Arisaema inaense (Seriz.) Seriz. ex K.Sasam. & J.Murata
- Arisaema inclusum (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. ex B.D.Jacks.
- Arisaema intermedium Blume
- Arisaema ishizuchiense Murata
- Arisaema iyoanum Makino
- Arisaema jacquemontii Blume
- Arisaema japonicum Blume
- Arisaema jethompsonii Thiyagaraj & P.Daniel
- Arisaema jingdongense H.Peng & H.Li
- Arisaema kawashimae Seriz.
- Arisaema kayahense J.Murata
- Arisaema kerrii Craib
- Arisaema kishidae Makino ex Nakai
- Arisaema kiushianum Makino
- Arisaema kuratae Seriz.
- Arisaema lackneri Engl.
- Arisaema laminatum Blume
- Arisaema langbiangense Luu, Nguyen-Phi & H.T.Van
- Arisaema leschenaultii Blume
- Arisaema lichiangense W.W.Sm.
- Arisaema lidaense J.Murata & S.K.Wu
- Arisaema liemiana Luu, H.T.Van, H.C.Nguyen & V.D.Nguyen
- Arisaema lihengianum J.Murata & S.K.Wu
- Arisaema limbatum Nakai & F.Maek.
- Arisaema lingyunense H.Li
- Arisaema lobatum Engl.
- Arisaema longipedunculatum M.Hotta
- Arisaema longitubum Z.X.Ma
- Arisaema lushuiense G.W.Hu & H.Li
- Arisaema macrospathum Benth.
- Arisaema madhuanum Nampy & Manudev
- Arisaema maekawae J.Murata & S.Kakish.
- Arisaema mairei H.Lév.
- Arisaema maximowiczii (Engl.) Nakai
- Arisaema maxwellii Hett. & Gusman
- Arisaema mayebarae Nakai
- Arisaema melanostoma Z.X.Ma, X.Yun Wang & W.Y.Du
- Arisaema meleagris Buchet
- Arisaema menglaense Y.H.Ji, H.Li & Z.F.Xu
- Arisaema microspadix Engl.
- Arisaema mildbraedii Engl.
- Arisaema minamitanii Seriz.
- Arisaema minus (Seriz.) J.Murata
- Arisaema monophyllum Nakai
- Arisaema mooneyanum M.G.Gilbert & Mayo
- Arisaema muratae Gusman & J.T.Yin
- Arisaema muricaudatum Sivad.
- Arisaema murrayi (J.Graham) Hook.
- Arisaema nagiense Tom.Kobay., K.Sasam. & J.Murata
- Arisaema nambae Kitam.
- Arisaema negishii Makino
- Arisaema nepenthoides (Wall.) Mart.
- Arisaema nikoense Nakai
- Arisaema nilamburense Sivad.
- Arisaema nonghinense Klinrat. & Yannawat
- Arisaema odoratum J.Murata & S.K.Wu
- Arisaema ogatae Koidz.
- Arisaema omkoiense Gusman
- Arisaema ornatum Miq.
- Arisaema ovale Nakai
- Arisaema pachystachyum Hett. & Gusman
- Arisaema pallidum Engl.
- Arisaema pangii H.Li
- Arisaema parisifolium J.Murata
- Arisaema parvum N.E.Br. ex Hemsl.
- Arisaema pattaniense Gagnep.
- Arisaema peerumedense J.Mathew
- Arisaema peltatum C.E.C.Fisch.
- Arisaema penicillatum N.E.Br.
- Arisaema petelotii K.Krause
- Arisaema petiolulatum Hook.f.
- Arisaema pianmaense H.Li
- Arisaema pierreanum Engl.
- Arisaema pingbianense H.Li
- Arisaema polyphyllum (Blanco) Merr.
- Arisaema prazeri Hook.f.
- Arisaema propinquum Schott
- Arisaema pseudoangustatum Seriz.
- Arisaema psittacus E.Barnes
- Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash
- Arisaema quinatum (Nutt.) Schott
- Arisaema ramulosum Alderw.
- Arisaema ringens (Thunb.) Schott
- Arisaema rostratum V.D.Nguyen & P.C.Boyce
- Arisaema roxburghii Kunth
- Arisaema rubrirhizomatum H.Li & J.Murata
- Arisaema ruwenzoricum N.E.Br.
- Arisaema sachalinense (Miyabe & Kudô) J.Murata
- Arisaema saddlepeakense P.S.N.Rao & S.K.Srivast.
- Arisaema sarracenioides E.Barnes & C.E.C.Fisch.
- Arisaema saxatile Buchet
- Arisaema sazensoo (Blume) Makino
- Arisaema schimperianum Schott
- Arisaema scortechinii Hook.f.
- Arisaema seppikoense Kitam.
- Arisaema serratum (Thunb.) Schott
- Arisaema setosum A.S.Rao & D.M.Verma
- Arisaema siamicum Gagnep.
- Arisaema sikokianum Franch. & Sav.
- Arisaema silvestrii Pamp.
- Arisaema sinii K.Krause
- Arisaema sizemoreae Hett. & Gusman
- Arisaema smitinandii S.Y.Hu
- Arisaema somalense M.G.Gilbert & Mayo
- Arisaema souliei Buchet
- Arisaema speciosum (Wall.) Mart.
- Arisaema stewardsonii Britton
- Arisaema subulatum Manudev & Nampy
- Arisaema sukotaiense Gagnep.
- Arisaema taiwanense J.Murata
- Arisaema tashiroi Kitam.
- Arisaema tengtsungense H.Li
- Arisaema ternatipartitum Makino
- Arisaema thunbergii Blume
- Arisaema tortuosum (Wall.) Schott
- Arisaema tosaense Makino
- Arisaema translucens C.E.C.Fisch.
- Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott
- Arisaema tuberculatum C.E.C.Fisch.
- Arisaema ulugurense M.G.Gilbert & Mayo
- Arisaema umbrinum Ridl.
- Arisaema undulatifolium Nakai
- Arisaema utile Hook.f. ex Schott
- Arisaema vexillatum H.Hara & H.Ohashi
- Arisaema victoriae V.D.Nguyen
- Arisaema vietnamense Luu, Q.B.Nguyen, H.C.Nguyen & T.Q.T.Nguyen
- Arisaema wangmoense M.T.An, H.H.Zhang & Q.Lin
- Arisaema wardii C.Marquand & Airy Shaw
- Arisaema wattii Hook.f.
- Arisaema wilsonii Engl.
- Arisaema wrayi Hemsl.
- Arisaema xuanweiense H.Li
- Arisaema yamatense (Nakai) Nakai
- Arisaema yunnanense Buchet
- Arisaema zhui H.Li
The Intriguing Life of Arisaema
What truly fascinates me about Arisaema is their unique life cycle. These plants exhibit a phenomenon known as sequential hermaphroditism, meaning they can change their sex from male to female or vice versa throughout their lifespan. This change is often influenced by environmental factors such as resource availability. In times of scarcity, the plant may conserve energy by producing male flowers, while in more favorable conditions, it may transition to female flowering to produce seeds.
This remarkable adaptability is a testament to the resilience of Arisaema and their ability to thrive in diverse environments. Their life cycle is a complex and captivating process, offering a glimpse into the intricate strategies plants employ to ensure their survival.
The Allure of the Uncommon
Arisaema are not your typical garden-variety plants. Their unusual appearance, with their hooded spathes and often elongated spadices, sets them apart from the more common floral forms. This unique morphology, coupled with their intriguing life cycle, gives them an air of mystery and allure. They are plants that invite closer inspection, prompting curiosity and wonder.
For me, the appeal of Arisaema lies in their ability to challenge conventional notions of beauty and adaptation. They are a reminder that nature is full of surprises and that there is always more to discover.
A Personal Connection
My fascination with Arisaema stems from a deep appreciation for the natural world and a desire to understand the intricate processes that govern life on Earth. These plants, with their unique beauty and remarkable adaptability, embody the wonders of nature and inspire me to continue exploring the botanical world.
I believe that Arisaema, with their captivating forms and intriguing life cycles, deserve greater recognition and appreciation. They are a testament to the diversity and resilience of life on our planet, and they serve as a constant reminder of the beauty and wonder that can be found in the natural world.
