Saururaceae - Species Plantarum Programme

SPECIES PLANTARUM —FLORA OF THE WORLD 2005
RHO, WVA. 77: TEX. 78: ALA, ARK, DEL, FLA, GEO, KTY, LOU, MRY, MSI, NCA,
SCA, TEN, VRG. Swamps, marshes, ponds, slow-moving streams, river banks, wet soil,
fresh or slightly brackish water to 50 cm depth. Flowering (Feb.–) Mar.–Aug. (–Sep.);
fruiting Jun.–Oct. (–Nov.). Map 1.
72. ONTARIO: edge of Grand R., F.H.Montgomery 557 (GH). QUEBEC: Sainte-Rose, F.Marie-Victorin &
F.Rolland-Germain 55107 (MO). 74. ILLINOIS: St. Claire Co., J.O.Neill 15954 (MO). MISSOURI: E of
Eudora, Polk Co., J.A.Steyermark 24058 (MO). 75. PENNSYLVANIA: Dauphin Co., Jun Wen 1100 (GH).
78. ARKANSAS: Lee Co., D.Demarée 12979 (MO, GH). FLORIDA: Nassau Co., R.K.Godfrey & W.Lindsey
56849 (GH). NORTH CAROLINA: Carteret, J.Stone & D.Holland 1515 (MO). SOUTH CAROLINA:
Charleston Co., S.R.Hill 23825 (MO, GH). VIRGINIA: Miners Pond, Prince George Co., M.L.Fernald &
B.Long 8227 (GH).
Some Native Americans used this species medicinally (D.E.Moerman, Med. Pl. Nat.
America, 1986; D.E.Moerman, Nat. Amer. Ethnobot., 1998).
2. Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill., Adansonia 10(2): 71 (1871)
Spathium chinense Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 217 (1790); Saururus loureiri Decne., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3,
3: 102 (1845), nom. illeg.; Saururopsis chinensis (Lour.) Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou
21: 590 (1848). T: [China] "Habitat in locis paludosis, prope Cantonem Sinarum", J. de Loureiro 2171; holo: P.
Saururopsis cumingii C.DC., in A. de Candolle, Prodr. 16: 239 (1869). T: [Philippines] In ins. Philippinis,
H.Cuming 1259; holo: BM.
Saururopsis cumingii var. japonica C.DC., in A. de Candolle, Prodr. 16: 240 (1869). T: [Japan] In Japonia ad
Kanagavia, R.Fortune; syn: BM; [Japan] In Japonia ad Kanagavia, Nagasahi, R.Oldham 668; syn: G-DC, n.v.
[Saururus cernuus auct. non L.: C.P.Thunberg, Fl. Jap. 154 (1784)]
Saururus sinensis Teijsm. & Binn., Cat. Hort. Bot. Bogor. 77 (1866), nom. inval., probably an orthographic
variant of the name S. chinensis.
Illustrations: T.S.Liu & H.C.Wang (eds.), Fl. Taiwan 2: 623 (1996); K.M.Liu, Fl. Hunan. 2: 787 (2000);
Z.Y.Wu & P.H.Raven (eds.), Fl. China, Illustr. 4: 121 (2001).
Maps: H.L.Li, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. n.s. 42(2): 411 (1952); L.K.Fu & T.Hong (eds.), Higher Pl. China 3:
316 (1999).
Herbs to more than 1 m high; rhizomes stout, creeping, white. Leaves: stipular sheath 2–10
mm long, slightly clasping; petiole 1–3 cm long, glabrous; lamina ovate to ovate-lanceolate,
(4–) 10–20 × (2–) 5–10 cm, cordate or oblique-cordate at base, acute or acuminate at apex,
papery, densely glandular, glabrous; nerves 5–7, basal, if 7-nerved, then outermost pair
slender, ascending and then arched and combined. Apical leaves smaller, 2 or 3 at stem apex,
usually petal-like, white at anthesis. Inflorescence an elongated leaf-opposed and/or terminal
raceme, (3–) 12–20 (–22) cm long; peduncle 0.5–4.5 cm long, glabrous. Bract beneath each
flower spathulate, 1–1.5 mm long (distinct portion), white; basal part linear and pilose;
apical part small, orbicular, rounded to acute at apex, glabrous or sparsely ciliate. Stamens
epigynous, adnate to lower part of ovaries; filaments slightly longer than anthers, c. 1 mm
long. Fruit c. 3 mm diam., tuberculate. 2n = 22, fide C.J.Ge et al., in D.Hong (ed.),
Pl. Chromosome Res. 1987: 267–272 (1989). Fig. 1.
China, Eastern Asia, Indo-China, and Malesia. 36: CHC, CHH, CHS. 38: JAP, KOR, TAI.
40: IND. 41: VIE. 42: PHI. Wet places, ditches, meadows, riverbanks, streamsides, forests,
thickets, roadsides, field margins. Flowering Apr.–Jun., fruiting Jun.–Jul. Map 2.
36. CHINA SOUTHEAST: Iu Village, Lingnan, Guangdong, To & Ts'ang 12113 (MO); Longzhou, Guangxi,
S.P.Ko 55156 (IBSC); Liping, Guizhou, Y.K.Li 9101 (IBSC); Yang Shan, Changning Xian, Hunan, C.S.Fan &
Y.Y.Li 297 (BM, A); Anyuan, Jiangxi, C.M.Hu 2566 (IBSC); Hong Kong, S.Y.Hu & P.Y.But 20777 (A).
CHINA SOUTH-CENTRAL: Xingshan, Hubei, G.X.Fu & Z.S.Zhang 213 (IBSC); Emei Shan, Sichuan,
W.P.Fang 18901 (A); W Tianmushan, M.B.Deng 4321 (IBSC). 38. TAIWAN: Taipei, T.I.Chuang &
M.T.Kao 3378 (A).
In China, the rhizomes and flowers are used medicinally. In India, the rhizomes are boiled
and eaten.
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