Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit - Arisaema sikokianum
The Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema sikokianum (Alismatales - Araceae), is considered for some as one of the most stunningly beautiful member of the aroid family and, in particular, the genus Arisaema.
This astonishing plant is only found in the Shikoku Island and a limited area in Honsyu Island in Japan, where it is classified as a Vulnerable species. Arisaema species demonstrate sexual dimorphism based on size (paradioicus), which means that when the plant is small in size the sex expression is male, changing to female as the plant grows larger. This unique sexual dimorphism results in an unstable seed supply, so large numbers of corms of A. sikokianum are picked from the habitat because the commercial production of corms through seeds has not yet been established.
References: [1] - [2]
Photo credit: ©Nobuhiro Suhara | Locality: Kyoto Botanical Garden, Japan (2015)
