Flora canaria > Especies silvestres
Arisarum simorrhinum
Arisarum simorrhinum Durieu in Duch.
Familia
ARACEAE
Hierba candil, Cachimbera, Cachimba, Pata de gallo, Zumillo, Batatilla, Frailecillo, Candileja
A small, perennial herb with an oval tuber buried deep in the soil, which develops rhizomes and roots up to 10 cm long. From this, between one and three leaves emerge, along with a single flower stalk.
The leaves have an extremely long petiole, measuring over 30 cm in length, and a characteristic arrowhead-shaped blade, dark green in colour, sometimes with purplish spots, which can measure over 15 cm in length. It is an acaulescent plant, meaning it has no stem; the leaves emerge directly from the ground. The leaves are sagittate or cordate, with a blade that can reach up to 14 cm and a petiole that is sometimes tinged with violet.
The flower stalk, which is smooth and slender, is shorter than the leaves and supports a curious inflorescence consisting of a spadix (a fleshy axis on which numerous tiny flowers are clustered in a spiral) surrounded by a tubular spathe about 3–4 cm long, the tip of which curves forwards to form a sort of hood. This spathe is whitish in colour with reddish-purple stripes and spots, which become more intense towards the hood; it is globose, acute, mucronate, smooth or papillate at the margin, with longitudinal veins, gradually paler along the tube, and dotted between the veins. The spadix may be shorter or longer than the spathe, sometimes pendulous and coiled upon itself. All the flowers are fertile and are clustered in the middle or lower third of the spadix; the female flowers, numbering 2 to 10, are densely clustered on one side of the base, whilst the male flowers, numbering between 30 and 40, are scattered above them. The tip of the spadix is sterile. The fruits, which are sheltered within the lower part of the spathe, are greenish berries between 5 and 15 mm long, each containing between one and twelve seeds.
During the winter, the tubers produce thickened, horizontally growing, whitish sections which eventually develop into new tubers.
Habitat: This species is native to the Mediterranean. In our archipelago, it grows beneath the large trees of the Monteverde, as well as in abandoned vegetable gardens and along the verges of paths and roads within this vast forest area, although it occasionally ventures into very humid areas of the thermophilic forests. It is relatively common, sometimes forming colonies of hundreds of plants. On the island of Lanzarote, it usually forms colonies of dozens of plants in places such as El Bosquecillo. It grows in the shade of the sweet tabiaba in low-lying areas....
Flowering: The flowering period is long, with plants in flower from early autumn to late spring.
Reproduction: By seeds and tubers.
Uses: It is not commonly used for ornamental purposes, but can be planted to form small colonies in cool areas of the garden. It requires very little care, needing only soil rich in organic matter and a shaded position. It is propagated by dividing the rhizomes in spring.
In some places it was used as a dye plant, as a purple dye can be obtained from its inflorescences using alum as a mordant.
In times of scarcity, it appears to have been used as fodder.
Propiedades medicinales: Los tubérculos se empleaban antiguamente para favorecer la secreción de orina y para activar la expectoración en casos de bronquitis. Con las hojas machacadas se hacían emplastos para cicatrizar heridas externas. En cualquier caso hay que ser muy precavido en el uso, porque esta especie es altamente tóxica, especialmente sus frutos que contienen algunos alcaloides como la irníina Aún no se conocen bien sus principios activos, se sabe que posee coniína y que en general , estos principios activos le confieren propiedades estimulantes (rizoma) y diuréticas (raíz). Las hojas parecen que poseen propiedades cicatrizantes cuando son aplicadas en fresco sobre heridas y llagas. En cualquier caso se recomienda evitar el uso interno de esta especie, porque estos principios activos son también tóxicos..
Distribución: Norte de África, oeste de la Península Ibérica, Islas Baleares, Azores, Madeira y Canarias.
Etimología: Su nombre genérico (Arisarum) procede del griego arisaron, que era el término usado por Dioscórides para designar a una pequeña planta que se supone era Arisarum vulgare. Según otros autores procedería del latín arista (espiga) y arum (aro) aludiendo a respectivamente a la espádice y la espata que rodea la inflorescencia. El específico (Simorrhinum) deriva de los terminos latinos simios (mono) y rhinos (morro), supuestamente por el parecido de la espácide con el morro o las narices de algunos simios. Sinonimia: Arisarum clusii, Arisarum hastatum, Arisarum subexertum, Arisarum tingitanum, Arisarum vulgare ssp. exsertum, Arisarum vulgare ssp. transiens, Arisarum vulgare ssp. subexsertum.
Distribución: Nativa. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote.
Ecosistemas: Cardonal-tabaibal. Bosques termófilos, Laurisilva, Fayal-brezal.
Altitud: Normalmente entre los 200-1.000 m s. n. m.
Hierba candil, Cachimbera, Cachimba, Pata de gallo, Zumillo, Batatilla, Frailecillo, Candileja
A small, perennial herb with an oval tuber buried deep in the soil, which develops rhizomes and roots up to 10 cm long. From this, between one and three leaves emerge, along with a single flower stalk.
The leaves have an extremely long petiole, measuring over 30 cm in length, and a characteristic arrowhead-shaped blade, dark green in colour, sometimes with purplish spots, which can measure over 15 cm in length. It is an acaulescent plant, meaning it has no stem; the leaves emerge directly from the ground. The leaves are sagittate or cordate, with a blade that can reach up to 14 cm and a petiole that is sometimes tinged with violet.
The flower stalk, which is smooth and slender, is shorter than the leaves and supports a curious inflorescence consisting of a spadix (a fleshy axis on which numerous tiny flowers are clustered in a spiral) surrounded by a tubular spathe about 3–4 cm long, the tip of which curves forwards to form a sort of hood. This spathe is whitish in colour with reddish-purple stripes and spots, which become more intense towards the hood; it is globose, acute, mucronate, smooth or papillate at the margin, with longitudinal veins, gradually paler along the tube, and dotted between the veins. The spadix may be shorter or longer than the spathe, sometimes pendulous and coiled upon itself. All the flowers are fertile and are clustered in the middle or lower third of the spadix; the female flowers, numbering 2 to 10, are densely clustered on one side of the base, whilst the male flowers, numbering between 30 and 40, are scattered above them. The tip of the spadix is sterile. The fruits, which are sheltered within the lower part of the spathe, are greenish berries between 5 and 15 mm long, each containing between one and twelve seeds.
During the winter, the tubers produce thickened, horizontally growing, whitish sections which eventually develop into new tubers.
Habitat: This species is native to the Mediterranean. In our archipelago, it grows beneath the large trees of the Monteverde, as well as in abandoned vegetable gardens and along the verges of paths and roads within this vast forest area, although it occasionally ventures into very humid areas of the thermophilic forests. It is relatively common, sometimes forming colonies of hundreds of plants. On the island of Lanzarote, it usually forms colonies of dozens of plants in places such as El Bosquecillo. It grows in the shade of the sweet tabiaba in low-lying areas....
Flowering: The flowering period is long, with plants in flower from early autumn to late spring.
Reproduction: By seeds and tubers.
Uses: It is not commonly used for ornamental purposes, but can be planted to form small colonies in cool areas of the garden. It requires very little care, needing only soil rich in organic matter and a shaded position. It is propagated by dividing the rhizomes in spring.
In some places it was used as a dye plant, as a purple dye can be obtained from its inflorescences using alum as a mordant.
In times of scarcity, it appears to have been used as fodder.
Propiedades medicinales: Los tubérculos se empleaban antiguamente para favorecer la secreción de orina y para activar la expectoración en casos de bronquitis. Con las hojas machacadas se hacían emplastos para cicatrizar heridas externas. En cualquier caso hay que ser muy precavido en el uso, porque esta especie es altamente tóxica, especialmente sus frutos que contienen algunos alcaloides como la irníina Aún no se conocen bien sus principios activos, se sabe que posee coniína y que en general , estos principios activos le confieren propiedades estimulantes (rizoma) y diuréticas (raíz). Las hojas parecen que poseen propiedades cicatrizantes cuando son aplicadas en fresco sobre heridas y llagas. En cualquier caso se recomienda evitar el uso interno de esta especie, porque estos principios activos son también tóxicos..
Distribución: Norte de África, oeste de la Península Ibérica, Islas Baleares, Azores, Madeira y Canarias.
Etimología: Su nombre genérico (Arisarum) procede del griego arisaron, que era el término usado por Dioscórides para designar a una pequeña planta que se supone era Arisarum vulgare. Según otros autores procedería del latín arista (espiga) y arum (aro) aludiendo a respectivamente a la espádice y la espata que rodea la inflorescencia. El específico (Simorrhinum) deriva de los terminos latinos simios (mono) y rhinos (morro), supuestamente por el parecido de la espácide con el morro o las narices de algunos simios. Sinonimia: Arisarum clusii, Arisarum hastatum, Arisarum subexertum, Arisarum tingitanum, Arisarum vulgare ssp. exsertum, Arisarum vulgare ssp. transiens, Arisarum vulgare ssp. subexsertum.
Distribución: Nativa. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote.
Ecosistemas: Cardonal-tabaibal. Bosques termófilos, Laurisilva, Fayal-brezal.
Altitud: Normalmente entre los 200-1.000 m s. n. m.
