Asarum nazeanum

Botanical Description

Asarum nazeanum is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial plant producing a cluster of leaves up to 15cm tall from a creeping rootstock, The rather interesting, but unpleasant-smelling flowers are hidden amongst the leaves[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The plant is harvested illegally from the wild for medicinal use and also to supply plants for cultivation[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. Asarum nazeanum is endemic to Amami-Oshima Island in Nansei-shoto Islands in Japan. It was described in 2012 when it was separated from Asarum celsum and its exact distribution is not known yet, but based on the extant of the known habitat it is considered to be in one small population. The population size is estimated to be less than 250 mature individuals. Drying of the habitat caused by logging and illegal collection for cultivation are the major threats to this species. Although the species is designated as a protected species, the threats are ongoing. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].