Arisaema dracontium
Arisaema dracontium, commonly known as Konnyaku, is a perennial plant native to East Asia. Valued in traditional medicine, its tubers are processed to create konjac, a versatile dietary staple. Beyond culinary uses, it offers unique medicinal properties, requiring careful preparation to manage its natural toxicity for safe consumption.
- Scientific name: Arisaema dracontium
- Family: Araceae
- Native range: Northern America
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Aliasmaetales, it is classified under the family Araceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Arisaema.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Alismatales | WCVP |
| Family | Araceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Arisaema | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across parts of North America. In Eastern Canada, its range includes the provinces of Ontario and Québec. Moving into the North-Central United States, the species is also found in Illinois. Furthermore, it extends its presence into the state of Iowa. Finally, the distribution reaches as far as Kansas within the North-Central region.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Canada | Ontario | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Québec | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Illinois | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Iowa | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Kansas | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Minnesota | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Missouri | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Nebraska | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Oklahoma | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Wisconsin | WCVP |
Chemicals
Arisaema dracontium has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Glycosides, Saponins, Steroids, Tannins.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Glycosides | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Steroids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Tannins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Terpenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |