Asarum minus, the little heartleaf or little brown jug, is a species of flowering plant in the Aristolochiaceae family.[1] It is native to the southeast United States.
| Asarum minus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Asarum minus flowers | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Piperales |
| Family: | Aristolochiaceae |
| Genus: | Asarum |
| Species: | A. minus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Asarum minus Ashe
| |
Description
edit
Asarum minus is a low-growing, stemless perennial. Its leaves and flowers emerge from an underground rhizome. The leaves are long-petioled, heart- to kidney-shaped, 1.5-3 inches long, variegated, evergreen-leathery, and emit a spicy smell when torn. Maroon-brown flowers are situated on short stalks, about 1/2 in. long. Flowers are firm and fleshy and have a weak bell shape that flares out into three triangular, white-mottled lobes. Fruit is a round, fleshy capsule.[2]
Range
editAsarum minus is endemic to the piedmont region, coastal plains, and mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.[2]
Ecology
editFlowers are often hidden under leaf litter.
Taxonomy
editAsarum minus was first described by William Ashe in 1897.[3] A. minus is the basionym of Hexastylis minor (Ashe) H.L. Blomq.
References
edit- ^ "Asarum minus (Little Heartleaf)". iNaturalist. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Cotterman, Laura; Waitt, Damon; Weakley, Alan (2019). Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast. Timber Press. ISBN 978-1-60469-760-5.
- ^ "Tropicos". www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
 | This Piperales-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |