Arisaema

Classification and relationships

The closest relatives of Arisaema appear to be Pinellia and Typhonium (although the latter as defined in 2004 seems to be paraphyletic, having given rise to Arisaema and other genera). One unusual trait shared by all Arisaema species, and not those of other genera, is sequential hermaphroditism. Arisaema plants are typically male when small, and female or hermaphroditic when large, with a single plant capable of changing sex based on nutrition and genetics, and perhaps changing sex several times during its long life (20 years or more).

Sections

A phylogenetic study in 2016 by Ohi-toma et al. recognized 15 sections in the genus.