Japanese name: マイヅルテンナンショウ（舞鶴天南星） Scientific name:Arisaema heterophyllum
[Overview]
A perennial 60–120 cm tall, found in lowland grasslands, wetlands and forests.
It has an oblate corm underground, with many small cormlets attached.
The sheathing leaves and the lower part of the petioles form a pseudostem.
There is 1 leaf, with 17–21 leaflets arranged pedately (like a bird's foot).
The leaflets are narrowly obovate or linear with pointed tips, and the terminal leaflet is clearly smaller than those on either side.
The leaflet margins are entire.
The inflorescence stalk is erect, longer than the petiole, and bears a spadix at the tip.
The appendage at the tip of the inflorescence is 20–30 cm long, slightly thick at the base, and curves in an S-shape, extending long upward.
The spadix is enclosed in a spathe.
The spathe is usually green, partly tinged with purple; the limb is triangular and broadly ovate, with a tail-like pointed tip.
The fruit is an ovoid berry that ripens red.
The plant is dioecious; young plants are male and change to bisexual as they grow.
[Uses]
It is poisonous, but the corm is used medicinally.
[Notes]
The Japanese name compares the appearance of the leaves and inflorescence to a dancing crane.
