Wildflower of the valley
Whipcord Cobra Lily
Arisaema tortuosum
- How easy to find
- Easy to see — you will see it easily on the trail
- Flower size
- Medium
- Family
- Araceae (Arum family)
- Local name
- Meen
- Type
- Herb
- Height
- 60 cm
- Flower colour
- yellow
- Flowering
- June to September
About Whipcord Cobra Lily
Arisaema tortuosum is a herb of height 60 cm - 1 m. Leaves are 2, pedately compound with 5-7 leaflets. Petiole is 10 - 20 cm long and leaflets are ovate lanceolate, acute at apex. Spathe is green striped with white bands, ribbed within, very elongate reaching upto 20cm, usually erect facing upwards. Berries are orange red.
Where to find it
- Along the trail from Govindghat to Ghangaria
- In the middle of the valley
Habitat
In shruberries and rocky slopes.
Uses & folklore
Tubers are used for treating snake bites and roots to treat cattle's wounds.
What the name means
Arisaema: Greek aron + haima; tortuosum means "twisted", after the spadix that ends in a long curling tail.
Don't confuse it with
A. propinquum (sno 68) and A. jacquemontii (sno 69) both lack the long twisted spadix tail that makes tortuosum unmistakeable.
