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Arisaema consanguineum - Schott.

Tian Nan Xing

Author	Schott.	Botanical references	51, 200
Family	Araceae	Genus	Arisaema
Synonyms
Known 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.
Range	E. Asia - Himalayas to S.W. China
Habitat	Damp shady pine and mixed forests, shrubberies and grassy slopes at elevations of 1800 - 3300 metres in the Himalayas[51, 147, 266].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Deep Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Leaves - boiled and used as a vegetable[272]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses

Anodyne; Antibacterial; Anticoagulant; Antifungal; Antiinflammatory; Antiphlogistic; Antirheumatic; Antispasmodic; Antitumor; Expectorant; Sedative; Stomachic.

Tian Nan Xing has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years and is valued especially for its beneficial affect upon the chest[254]. When prescribed internally it is always used dried and in conjunction with fresh ginger root[254]. The root is an acrid irritant herb that is anodyne, antibacterial, antifungal, antiphlogistic, antirheumatic, anticancer, antispasmodic, antitumor, expectorant, sedative and stomachic[147, 176, 218, 238]. The dried root is used internally in the treatment of coughs with profuse phlegm, tumours, cervical cancer, epilepsy, tetanus and complaints involving muscular spasms[176, 238]. The fresh root is applied externally as a poultice to ulcers and other skin complaints[254]. The root is harvested when the plant is dormant in the autumn or winter and is dried for later use[238]. The whole plant is anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and anodyne[218].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a cool peaty soil in the bog, woodland garden or a sheltered border in semi-shade[200]. Prefers a loamy or peaty soil[1] and will tolerate a sunny position if the soil is moist but not water-logged and the position is not too exposed[1, 200]. This species requires a warm corner in British gardens[233]. Plants are nearly hardy in Britain, they normally succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country[1]. They tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c[90], though the young growth can be damaged by spring frosts[238]. Tubers should be planted about 10cm deep[233]. Only plant out full sized tubers and mulch them with organic matter in the winter[200]. Plants need protection from slugs[200]. Most species in this genus are dioecious, but they are sometimes monoecious and can also change sex from year to year.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame[134]. Stored seed remains viable for at least a year and can be sown in spring in the greenhouse but it will probably require a period of cold stratification. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 6 months at 15°c[134]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least a coupe of years until the corms are more than 20mm in diameter. Plant out into their permanent positions whilst they are dormant. Division of tubers when the plant dies down in late summer.

Links

Permaculture.info Details of this plant in the Permaculture.info project, a community plant and permaculture database.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[51] Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984
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.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press 0 ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

[272] Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6
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.

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