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May 7, 2007 : Saruma henryi
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Keywords: Aristolochiaceae | Saruma henryi Oliv.
Today's photograph and accompanying text are courtesy of Douglas Justice, Curator of Collections at UBC Botanical Garden. — Daniel
Saruma henryi is just one of the many interesting offerings at the annual Mother’s Day Perennial Plant Sale held at UBC Botanical Garden. This beautiful herbaceous perennial is seldom commercially available, which is unfortunate, as it is an easy, adaptable plant for the shaded, woodland garden. A clumping perennial, it will grow to 1m in height. The name Saruma is an anagram of a related genus, Asarum, the wild (hardy) gingers, and the epithet henryi commemorates the great Irish plant explorer, Augustine Henry (1857–1930). The species is monotypic (the only species in its genus) and somewhat unusual in its family, as its closest relatives have simple, tubular, flesh- coloured, fly-pollinated flowers or convoluted weirdly shaped flowers adapted to specific pollinator behaviour (including providing specific brood sites for insects).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at May 7, 2007 12:35 AM
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Posted by: Michael F at May 7, 2007 3:33 AM
Asarum, known as wild ginger in North America (Aristolochiaceae)
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at May 7, 2007 6:19 AM
Saruma henryi - Z5-8 - Garden Design
Saruma henryi - 'has proven hardy in gardens of Massachusetts [Z5-6] and is reportedly tolerant of the heat and humidity of the south-eastern United States.' - The Explorer's Garden, Hinkley
Posted by: Beverley at May 7, 2007 7:16 AM
"Asarum, known as wild ginger in North America"
There must surely be a better name that can be used, without implying it is in the family Zingiberaceae?
Posted by: Michael F at May 7, 2007 11:17 AM
And my non-plant nerd friends just don't understand why I bristle whenever they insist I give them a non-latinized "Common name" for a plant that I'm describing for them.
Posted by: Eric in SF at May 7, 2007 12:50 PM
The common name of the European species of Asarum (A. europaeum) is "Asarabacca", an ancient herbal name which could be applied to all Asarum species.
Posted by: qcronk at May 7, 2007 1:16 PM
Common names are always a challenge. I'm all for the veracity of scientific names, but there are some common names that people actually use. In north America, "wild ginger" for Asarum (and Hexastylis, if you prefer) is one. Clearly, the spicy stems are the origin of the common name. Discouraging this behaviour is pretty tough when the literature is already rife with references. Should we tell the Tasmanians to stop calling Eucalyptus coccifera Mt Wellington peppermint because it isn't Lamiaceae?
Posted by: Douglas Justice at May 7, 2007 6:43 PM
No, we shouldn't.
Posted by: Ron B at May 7, 2007 8:09 PM
Hi,
I would like to ask the permission to put in my site the photo of Saruma henry. I would write near your link if you want. I attend answer, also
negative.
Thanks
Lucia Barabino
Posted by: LUCIA BARABINO at January 14, 2009 12:03 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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"The name Saruma is an anagram of a related genus, Asarum, the wild (hardy) gingers"
Surely gingers are monocots? They can't be related to Aristolochiaceae?