Araceae FAMILY

Arisaema tortuosum

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water.

Botanical Description

Arisaema tortuosum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a tuber that is usually renewed seasonally. The plant produces 2 - 3 leaves (occasionally only one) 5 - 30cm or more tall with a flowering stem 30 - 50cm tall - occasionally the plant can be as much as 2 metres tall. The tuber also produces some tubercles around its base - these become separated from the old tuber at the end of the season, growing on in subsequent years to form new plants[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is sometimes harvesed from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and as a source of a pesticide. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeE. Asia - southern central China, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar

HabitatMoist shady places in forests, shrubberies and also on open slopes; at elevations of 1,500 - 3,000 metres[ 51 Title Flowers of the Himalayas. Publication Author Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Publisher Oxford Universtiy Press Year 1984 ISBN - Description A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses. , 272 Title Plants and People of Nepal Publication Author Manandhar. N. P. Publisher Timber Press. Oregon. Year 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6 Description Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses. ]. Rocky slopes, path sides, streamsides, especially in disturbed areas; at elevations from 1,300 - 2,900 metres[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ].