Summary ⁵

Arisaema dracontium, more commonly known as green dragon, is a plant native to forests throughout the eastern United States. Each plant has only one leaf, which is divided into as many as 15 irregular leaflets. The unusual flower emerges on a separate stalk and consists of a long, slender spadix (a spike containing many tiny flowers) emerging from a plain green spathe (a bract that encloses the actual flowers). The spadix may extend several inches above the spathe.

Similar Species ⁵

The only plant remotely similar to green dragon in our region is the closely-related Jack-in-the-pulpit. Jack-in-the-pulpit leaves also emerge singly from the ground, but they are divided into only three lobes. Jack-in-the-pulpit has similar flower structure to green dragon but its spathe is much shorter, barely extending past its spathe.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Lee Elliott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/76147942@N00/5773785766
2. (c) The Preserve at Shaker Village, all rights reserved, uploaded by The Preserve at Shaker Village
3. (c) Qwen Wan, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/8655495@N07/1336714608/
4. (c) travel_stuffies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/46747194@N00/506668157
5. (c) The Preserve at Shaker Village, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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