Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

WILD GINGER

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Asarum canadense L.

Wyandotte County, Kansas

Perennial

Height: 4-8 inches

Family: Aristolachiaceae - Birthwort Family

Flowering Period: April, May

Stems:

Stemless

Leaves:

Basal, in pairs, simple; stalks 2.4 to 8 inches long, hairy; blades nearly circular to kidney-shaped, 1.6 to 6+ inches long, 3 to 6+ inches wide, palmately net-veined; margins entire; lower surface sparsely appressed-hairy; upper surface nearly smooth; tip rounded or pointed; base deeply heart-shaped.

Inflorescences:

Solitary flower between leaf stalks, prostrate or slightly ascending.

Flowers:

Stalk .4 to 1.2 inch long, pubescent; calyx bell-shaped, 1/2 to 1 inch long, 3-lobed, corolla-like; lobes externally reddish-brown or brownish-purple; internally white or pale green, occasionally purple-mottled; lobe tips triangular, tapering to points, spreading or bent backward; petals absent; stamens 12, appressed to style; stigma 6-lobed, head-like.

Fruits:

Capsule, spherical, somewhat fleshy; seeds numerous, pear- or egg-shaped, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, greenish-brown, wrinkled.

Habitat:

Moist deciduous woods, stream banks, bases of bluffs; rich soil.

Distribution:

East 1/7 of Kansas

Origin:

Native

Toxicity:

When handled, the leaves may cause a dermatitis reaction in some people.

Uses:

Native Americans used wild ginger medicinally in a variety of ways. The roots were steeped and used to treat colds, coughs, fevers, asthma, convulsions, measles, typhoid fever and as a stimulant. Cooked root was placed in the ear to alleviate earaches. The roots were also chewed to stimulate the appetite. Fresh leaves were applied to wounds and dried leaves used as snuff. The roots were cooked with meat or fish to enhance palatability. Dried roots were sometimes used as a substitute for ginger.

Comments:

Wild ginger is often observed in colonies.

Wild ginger flower