Arisaema pusillum is a species of flowering plant in the arum family Araceae.[2] It is a member of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, a group of closely related taxa in eastern North America. The specific name pusillum, which means "very small, slender",[3] describes the overall size of the plant relative to that of the more common Arisaema triphyllum.[4] It is commonly known as the small Jack-in-the-pulpit (or small Jack). It is sometimes referred to as the swamp Jack, not to be confused with Arisaema stewardsonii, which is also known by that name.
| Arisaema pusillum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Arisaema |
| Species: | A. pusillum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash[1]
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
A. pusillum
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Description
editArisaema pusillum is a herbaceous, perennial, flowering plant growing from a corm. Like other members of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, it has three leaflets per leaf. Throughout most of its range, it is a relatively small plant, seldom over 3.5 dm (14 in) tall.[4] In Georgia and Florida, it can reach up to 1.2 m (47 in) tall, but some botanists refer to the latter as Arisaema acuminatum.[5]
Similar species
editThe overall habit and character of Arisaema pusillum is very similar to that of Arisaema stewardsonii but the latter is easily distinguished by its strongly fluted spathe tube. Arisaema pusillum is less like Arisaema triphyllum sensu stricto, but since a diagnostic character is lacking, the two species are more difficult to distinguish in practice. The following table of characters compares the three species side-by-side:[5][6][7]
| Arisaema pusillum | Arisaema stewardsonii | Arisaema triphyllum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaflets | Light green, glossy underneath | Light green, glossy underneath | Glaucous underneath |
| Spathe tube | Smooth to slightly fluted | Strongly fluted | Smooth to slightly fluted |
| Spathe hood | Wholly purple or wholly green, rarely purple with fine green stripes | Green with purple stripes | Green with purple stripes or wholly green |
| Spathe flange | Revolute, 1–3 mm wide | Revolute, 1–3 mm wide | Flat or slightly revolute, 4.5–7 mm wide |
| Spadix appendix | Cylindric (shaped like a cylinder), 2–5 mm in diameter | Cylindric, 2–5 mm in diameter | Clavate (shaped like a club), 4–10 mm in diameter |
| Habitat | Hydric (wet) deciduous woodlands, swamps, wetlands | Hydric deciduous woodlands, bogs, swamps, wetlands | Mesic (moist) deciduous woodlands |
| Range | Primarily southeastern U.S. | Primarily northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada | Wide ranging across eastern North America |
Taxonomy
editArisaema pusillum was first described as Arisaema triphyllum var. pusillum by Charles Horton Peck in his Report of the State Botanist of 1897.[8] Peck's description was based on a specimen collected by Fred Thorne in Millbrook, New York, also in 1897. The variety was given species rank by the American botanist George Valentine Nash in 1901.[4] As of February 2023[update], the name Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash is widely recognized.
Arisaema pusillum is a member of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, a group of closely related taxa that also includes Arisaema acuminatum, Arisaema quinatum, Arisaema stewardsonii, and Arisaema triphyllum. As of March 2023[update], some authorities consider Arisaema pusillum to be a synonym for Arisaema triphyllum or A. triphyllum subsp. pusillum,[9][10][11] However, most authorities accept Arisaema pusillum and the other species-level members of the complex.[5][12][13][14]
Distribution and habitat
editArisaema pusillum is found primarily in the eastern United States, from Louisiana and Mississippi, northward to New York and southern New England. Some sources claim that it occurs as far north as Ontario and Quebec in eastern Canada,[2][10][15] while others claim its range extends to New York and southeastern Connecticut but no further.[6] In the southeastern United States, it is common throughout the Appalachian Mountains, from northern Alabama to West Virginia.[16]
Conservation
editThe global conservation status of Arisaema pusillum is unknown. Based on the conservation status of Arisaema triphyllum subsp. pusillum,[15] it may be inferred that Arisaema pusillum is globally secure (G5). It is uncommon (or worse) in New York (S3?), Quebec (S2?), Illinois (S1S2), and West Virginia (S1).
References
edit- ^ "Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b c "Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3.
- ^ a b c Britton, Nathaniel Lord (1901), Manual of the flora of the northern states and Canada, New York: Henry Holt and Company, p. 229, retrieved 2 February 2023
- ^ a b c Weakley & Southeastern Flora Team (2022), pp. 180–1.
- ^ a b Huttleston (1949).
- ^ Huttleston (1981).
- ^ Fifty-first Annual Report of the Regents of the New York State Museum, Volume 1. Vol. 1. Albany: University of the State of New York. 1899. pp. 297–298. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Sue A. (2000). "Arisaema triphyllum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 22. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott ssp. pusillum (Peck) Huttleston". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Arisaema Mart.". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Small Jack-in-the-pulpit - Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash". Vascular Plants of North Carolina. North Carolina Biodiversity Project. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Arisaema". Tennessee-Kentucky Plant Atlas. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Arisaema triphyllum subsp. pusillum". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Arisaema pusillum (Peck) Nash". Flora of the Southeastern United States (2022 Edition). Retrieved 5 March 2023.
Bibliography
edit- Huttleston, Donald G. (1949). "The three subspecies of Arisaema triphyllum". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 76 (6): 407–413. doi:10.2307/2482333. JSTOR 2482333.
- Huttleston, Donald G. (1981). "The four subspecies of Arisaema triphyllum". Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 108 (4): 479–481. doi:10.2307/2484449. JSTOR 2484449.
- Treiber, Miklos (1980). Biosystematics of the Arisaema triphyllum complex (PhD). Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina.
- Weakley, Alan S.; Southeastern Flora Team (2022). "Flora of the southeastern United States". University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden.
External links
edit- "Arisaema pusillum". NameThatPlant.net: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- Holm, Theo. (March 1922). "Seasonal Dimorphism in Arisaema Triphyllum". The American Midland Naturalist. 8 (2): 41–48. doi:10.2307/2993009. JSTOR 2993009.
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