Plant Encyclopedia
Arisaema monophyllum ("Hitotsubatennansho")
Japanese name: ヒトツバテンナンショウ (一葉天南星)
Scientific name: Arisaema monophyllum
[Overview]
A perennial up to 60 cm tall, found in forests and at forest edges in low mountains.
There is a flattened-spherical corm underground.
The sheathing leaves and the lower part of the petioles form a pseudostem, which is longer than the petiole and the inflorescence stalk.
There is usually 1 leaf, with 7–9 leaflets arranged like a bird's foot.
The leaflets are ovate to obovate and pointed; the leaf axis develops between the terminal leaflet and the leaflets on either side, and often extends at a right angle to the petiole.
The leaf margin is toothed or entire.
The inflorescence stalk is erect, shorter than the petiole, and bears a spadix at its tip.
The appendage at the tip of the inflorescence is a slender rod, slightly swollen at the tip and curving diagonally forward.
The spadix is enclosed by the spathe.
The tube of the spathe is greenish white; the limb is glossy yellowish green, narrowly ovate-triangular with a sharply pointed tip.
There is a dark purple figure-eight-shaped (八) marking at the inner base of the limb.
The fruit is an ovoid berry that ripens red.
The plant is dioecious; young individuals are male and change to female as they grow.
[Uses]
Although poisonous, the corm is used medicinally.
[Uses]
Although poisonous, the corm is used medicinally.
Details
Translated from our Japanese encyclopedia. If anything differs, the Japanese page is correct.
