Asarum asperum

Asarum asperum is a species of flowering plant in the pipevine family, Aristolochiaceae. It is endemic to Japan, where it is found on Shikoku and in the western regions of Honshu.^[1] It is particularly common in the vicinity of Kyoto and Nara.^[2]

Asarum asperum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Piperales
Family:	Aristolochiaceae
Genus:	Asarum
Species:	A. asperum
Binomial name
Asarum asperum F.Maek.
Synonyms
Heterotropa aspera (F.Maek.) F.Maek.

It is a perennial that produces thick evergreen leaves, which are ovate-orbicular and have a subhastate base.^[1] It produces ground-level maroon flowers, that are pollinated by insects. The flowering tube is prominently constricted at its apex. It blooms in April.^[1] It forms colonies on the forest floor, where it often grows co-occurs with Ainsliaea cordifolia, with which it bears a resemblance.^[2]

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  Detail of flowers