Asarum acuminatum is a long-lived perennial, herbaceous plant that persists by means of an underground rhizome. Its leaves are typically paired, broadly cordate, and arise directly from the rhizome. The flowers are solitary and borne at ground level. The calyx tube is approximately 10–20mm long, with calyx lobes that are long-caudate (15–35mm), initially erect to ascending at anthesis and becoming more spreading as the flower matures.
Taxonomy
Asarum acuminatum was originally described as Asarum canadense var. acuminatum by William Willard Ashe in 1897. It was elevated to species rank by Eugene P. Bicknell in 1898. The epithet acuminatum, which means "with a long, narrow and pointed tip", refers to the tips of the calyx-lobes. Bicknell referred to the plant as the "long-tipped wild ginger".
In the 8th edition of Gray's Manual initially published in 1950, the American botanist Merritt Lyndon Fernald accepted the name Asarum canadense var.acuminatumAshe. In 1997, the influential Flora of North America considered that name to be a synonym of Asarum canadenseL. More recent treatments accept it as a distinct species. However, a 2025 master's thesis by Brett Lambert, using morphological and genome-wideSNP data, concluded that A. acuminatum substantially overlaps with A. canadense and is best treated as Asarum canadense var. acuminatum.
It occurs primarily in rich deciduous forests, often in mesic, shaded habitats with well-developed soils.
Ecology
Like other species in the genus, Asarum acuminatum is a low-growing forest herb adapted to shaded environments. Flowering typically occurs from April to May. Its ground-level flowers are thought to be pollinated by small insects, and its seeds are likely dispersed by ants (myrmecochory), a common trait in the genus.[citation needed]
Fernald, Merrit Lyndon (1970) [first published in 1950]. Rollins, R. C. (ed.). Gray's Manual of Botany (8thed.). D. Van Nostrand Company. ISBN0-442-22250-5.
