fan-leaf Chinese green dragon

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• fan-leaf Chinese green dragon

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Pinellia cochinchinensis
• Pinellia tuberifera var. pedatisecta
• Arisaema cochinchinense
• Pinellia wawrae

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Pinehillia pedatisecta, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is further classified under the order Alismatales. Ultimately, it is a member of the family Araceae within the genus Pinehillia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across various regions of China. It is found within the landscapes of China South-Central, spanning multiple provinces. Additionally, its presence extends northward into the territory of Inner Mongolia. The species also inhabits the central parts of the country, specifically within China North-Central. Finally, its range reaches into the eastern reaches of China Southeast.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Pinellia pedatisecta is characterized by its classification as a cryptophyte, specifically functioning as a geophyte. This life strategy dictates that the plant survives unfavorable environmental periods, such as extreme temperatures or seasonal droughts, by retreating into underground storage organs. As a geophyte, its vital biological activity is concentrated in subterranean structures like tubers or rhizomes, which remain dormant during periods of environmental stress and re-emerge to produce foliage and reproductive structures when conditions become favorable. This specialized life form allows the species to persist in its niche by protecting its meristematic tissues beneath the soil surface, ensuring a perennial existence through a cycle of seasonal dormancy and active growth.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Morphology

The morphology of Pinellia pedatisecta is characterized by its growth habit as a non-woody herbaceous plant that functions as a self-supporting climber, meaning it does not rely on external structures for verticality but possesses the capacity to ascend. It is an independent organism that does not exhibit parasitic behavior, maintaining its own nutritional processes without host dependency. Furthermore, it is a terrestrial species, growing in soil rather than acting as an epiphyte, which establishes its ecological position within the ground-level substrate.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Pinellia pedatisecta is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and environmental adaptations. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly through the enzyme RuBisCO, a process that is most efficient under temperate conditions with moderate light intensity and sufficient moisture. This metabolic strategy influences its transpiration rates and water-use efficiency, as the plant relies on open stomata for gas exchange, making it sensitive to high-temperature stress and drought. Furthermore, its physiological functions are closely tied to its seasonal growth patterns, where energy is directed toward the development of its tuberous structures during specific phenological stages, supported by the steady carbon assimilation provided by its C3 metabolism.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Pinellia pedatisecta has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Gene

Stem

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Chemicals

Pinellia pedatisecta has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include ERYTHRITOL, Flavonoids, Pedatisectine F, hypoxanthine, malic acid.

ERYTHRITOL

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Flavonoids

1. BMC genomics

Pedatisectine F

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

hypoxanthine

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

malic acid

1. Journal of chromatography. A

uridine

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Preparations

Pinellia pedatisecta has 3 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Gouzhua Banxia, immature tuber, processed tuber.

Gouzhua banxia

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Immature tuber

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Processed tuber

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica