Part Five - Pinellia
Commonly called little green dragons (I've also seen 'false dragon' used), they thrive in shade in the south but can take more sun in northern climates. A moist, fertile soil is best, with good drainage because they prefer a relatively dry winter rest period.
According to The Pinellia Page on Roy Harold's Arisaema site, there may be as many as ten species, found primarily in China, Japan and Korea. Of these, four are commonly in cultivation in the US and Europe, listed here showing known hardiness zone and low temperature from the IAS hardy aroid listing:
- Pinellia cordata (Zone 4b, Ithaca, NY) -10ºF / -23ºC
- Pinellia tripartita (Zone 4b, Ithaca, NY) -25ºF / -31ºC
- Pinellia pedatisecta (Zone 4b, Ithaca, NY) -10ºF / -23ºC
- Pinellia ternata (Zone 4b, Ithaca, NY) -10ºF / -23ºC
Named for Giovanni Vincenzo Pinelli, a sixteenth century Italian, founder of the Botanic Gardens of Naples, Italy, the genus has also been called Atherurus or Hemicarpurus in the past, according to Krzysztof Kozminski's Pinellia page. A search on the word 'Atherurus' turns up references to assorted porcupines or hedgehogs. I fail to see the connection.
While seemingly very similar to Arisaema, Roy's Pinellia Page lists the following difference between the two genera:
- Pinellia never has more than one seed per fruit;
- Pinellia seedheads always flop to the ground (some Arisaema do this occasionally, but it's not usual); seeds are green when ripe instead of red or orange as in Arisaema;
- Pinellia flower stems always rise directly from the tuber and have no leaves - this occurs in some Arisaema, but not most of them;
- Pinellia have both male and female flowers in the same inflorescence, separated by a membrane. The spadix is fused to the back of the spathe for some distance. Arisaema are either male or female, depending on their age and growing conditions.
If you have one Pinellia, wait a season and you'll have more. They are easily propagated by offset tubers removed in autumn or early spring; seed, which should be sown as soon as it's ripe in a cold frame and left there over winter for spring germination, or given a three week cold stratification at 39ºF / 4ºC, then 68ºF / 20ºC, after which it should germinate in a few weeks. You can also plant the small bulbils that form on the junction of leaf blade and stalk in late summer.
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