Aspidistra elatior
Cast iron plant
Aspidistra elatior, commonly known as the Cast-iron plant, is a resilient evergreen prized for its tough, glossy foliage. While primarily used as an ornamental plant due to its extreme durability, it holds traditional significance in various cultures, potentially offering medicinal properties through its unique, hardy biological composition.
- Scientific name: Aspidistra elatior
- Family: Asparagaceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is classified within the order Asparagales and the family Asparagaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Aspidistra.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Asparagales | WCVP |
| Family | Asparagaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Aspidistra | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Aspidistra elatior, is recognized by various common names depending on the region and language. In Chinese, it is referred to as 蜘蛛抱蛋 in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and the Cantonese dialect used in Hong Kong (zh-hk). In Japan, it is commonly called ハラン (ja), while in Poland, it is known as Aspidistra wyniosła (pl).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 蜘蛛抱蛋 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 蜘蛛抱蛋 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 蜘蛛抱蛋 | Wikidata |
| ja | ハラン | Wikidata |
| pl | Aspidistra wyniosła | Wikidata |
| fi | tuonenkielo | Wikidata |
| sv | Aspidistra | Wikidata |
| th | บัวดอย | Wikidata |
| zh | 蜘蛛抱蛋 | Wikidata |
| ar | دريقة عالية | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning several distinct regions. In Northern Europe, its presence can be found within Great Britain. Moving to Southwestern Europe, it is also distributed throughout Spain. The species has a significant presence in China, specifically across the South-Central and Southeast regions. Finally, its distribution extends into Eastern Asia, where it is found in Japan.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Southwestern Europe | Spain | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Japan | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Korea | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Alabama | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Arkansas | WCVP |
| Southeastern U.S.A. | Florida | WCVP |
Activities
Aspidistra elatior has 3 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiproliferative, Antitumor, Antiviral.
- Total activities
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |