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- Aristolochiaceae
- Asarum
- Asarum canadense
Asarum canadense — Canada wild ginger
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Facts
Canada wild ginger is found in rich, moist forests in much of New England. It is unrelated to the ginger commonly used in cooking, but the root has a strong, ginger-like flavor. Native Americans used it in cooking and to treat a wide variety of maladies, including coughs, colds, stomach pains, and poor digestion.
Habitat
Forests
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are three petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Stamen number
- 12
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cilia on petals
- NA
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
-
- NA
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Flower description
- the flower has an inferior ovary, with or without a hypanthium
- Flower length
- 20–40 mm
- Flower orientation
- the flower points upwards or is angled outwards
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fringed petal edges
- NA
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Hairs on inflorescence
- the axis of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Length of peduncle
- 15–30 mm
- Marks on petals
-
- NA
- there are no noticeable marks on the petals
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of branches in umbel
- 0
- Number of carpels
- 4–6
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are three petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 6
- Ovary position
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- green to brown
- pink to red
- Petal appearance
-
- NA
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- NA
- Petal folds or pleats
-
- NA
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal glandular dots or scales
- NA
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- NA
- Petal length
- 0 mm
- Petal length relative to sepals
- NA
- Petal nectaries
- NA
- Petal number
- 0
- Petal shape
- NA
- Petal tip shape
- NA
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Petal width
- 0 mm
- Raceme attachment (Veronica)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
-
- NA
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- NA
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble petals in color and texture
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal color
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- white
- Sepal length
- 6–24 mm
- Sepal number
- 3
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla
- Sepal tip shape
- the sepal tip is acuminate (tapers to a very narrow point)
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
- Stamen appendages
- stamen appendages are present
- Stamen number
- 12
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not attached to one another
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit locules
- six or more
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Seed relative length
- the seed is longer than it is wide
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Horizontal rooting stem
- the plant does not have stolons
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Floral bract texture
- NA
- Floral bracts
- the flower does not have bracts
- Flower bract length
- 0 mm
- Hairs on leaf stalk
- the petiole has hairs on it
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hooked hairs on underside of leaf
- no
- Inflated hairs on leaf
- the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, has rounded lobes at the base)
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 40–200 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped with backward-facing rounded lobes), or sagittate (arrow-shaped with backward-facing pointed lobes)
- the leaf blade is reniform (kidney-shaped; wider than long)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is scarious (thin and dry like paper) or membranaceous (thin and flexible and almost translucent like a membrane)
- Leaf blade vein pattern
-
- the major veins form a net-like pattern due to splitting and rejoining
- the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin
- Leaf blade width
- 80–215 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf hair orientation
- the hairs are flat against the leaf surface, mostly pointing towards the leaf tip
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
- the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- 60–200 mm
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is rounded, with no point
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf types
- NA
- Leaf variation
- NA
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Leaflet petiolules
- NA
- Leaves per node
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (basal)
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipels
- NA
- Stipule edges
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf stalk
- NA
- Stipule length
- 0 mm
- Stipule shape
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has a pleasant smell, for example anise, fruit, mint or resin
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Stem orientation
- the stems trail at the base, but may turn upwards at the tips
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
- Wings on stem
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- extremely rare to rare (S-rank: S1S2), threatened (code: T)
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (uncertain) (code: C*)
Native to North America?
Yes
Synonyms
- Asarum acuminatum (Ashe) Bickn.
- Asarum canadense var. acuminatum Ashe
- Asarum canadense var. ambiguum (Bickn.) Farw.
- Asarum reflexum Bickn.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Asarum canadense L. N
Canada wild ginger. Asarum acuminatum (Ashe) Bickn.; A. canadense L. var. acuminatum Ashe; A. canadense L. var. ambiguum (Bickn.) Farw.; A. reflexum Bickn. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Rich, sometimes rocky, mesic forests.