Aspidistra elatior 'Asahi'

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Genus Aspidistra

Herbs perennial , rhizomatous . Rhizome creeping , elongate ; nodes dense. Leaves solitary or 2--4-tufted, basal, erect , long petiolate ; leaf blade many veined. Scape usually very short, with 2--8 scales , 1(or 2) -flowered. Flowers bisexual , terminal , generally embraced by 1 or 2 bracts at perianth base . Perianth campanulate, urceolate , or cupular, fleshy , apically (4--) 6--8(--10) -lobed. Stamens as many as and opposite perianth lobes, usually inserted in proximal part of perianth tube; filaments very short or absent; anthers dorsifixed . Ovary 3- or 4-loculed; ovules several per locule. Style short, sometimes articulate ; stigma usually peltate or mushroom-shaped, large, entire or lobed at margin . Fruit a berry, globose to ovoid-ellipsoid, usually 1-seeded.

About 55 species: China, India, Japan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam; 49 species (46 endemic, one introduced ) in China.

Aspidistra has never been well studied so, for the convenience of later criticisms, we use the narrowest species concept in this treatment. Further studies are needed in order to understand the precise species variation and to establish an adequate species concept in the genus.[1]

Physical Description

Biology

Growth

Culture: Space 24-36" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 4.5 • Maximum pH: 5.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Light Shade.

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

Notes

An accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Aspidistra

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 24 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

A. caespitosa 'Jade Ribbons' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Asahi' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Goldfeather' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Hoshi Zora' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Milky Way' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Morning Frost' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Okame' (Striped Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Snow Cap' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Stars and Stripes' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'To Ryu Mon' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. elatior 'Variegata' (Variegated Cast Iron Plant) · A. linearifolia 'Leopard' (Aspidistra) · A. lurida 'Amanogawa' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. lurida 'Ginga' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. lurida 'Suisho' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. patentiloba (Aspidistra) · A. tonkinensis 'Clouded Leopard' (Aspidistra) · A. typica 'Old Glory' (Aspidistra) · A. typica 'Stargazey' (Aspidistra) · A. 'China Moon' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. 'Singapore Sling' (Cast Iron Plant) · A. 'Thai Dwarf' (Aspidistra) · A. 'Vietnam' (Cast Iron Plant)

More Info

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Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 15, 2012.

Identifiers

• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 970168

Footnotes

1. Liang Song-jun, Minoru N. Tamura "Aspidistra". in Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 240. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

Curator for this page: David Constantine. Date last reviewed: 1899-12-30

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.