Wild Ginger, Asarum Caudatum

Day 238: One of my favourite wildflowers, Asarum caudatum is another species with a misleading common name: Wild Ginger. It is in no way related to true ginger, Zingiber officinale, although if crushed, the leaves give off a ginger-like scent. The "caudatum" portion of its botanical binomial refers to the three tail-like appendages at the tips of the calyx. The flowers are generally concealed beneath the leaves, not noticeable in the broad overview. Although the plants occasionally form seed pods, their primary means of reproduction is rhizomatous, i.e., it forms runners underground and often develops into thick mats in ideal habitat. Its plant associations include most of the evergreen trees found in the Park, and it can be found to 3000' elevation although it is somewhat uncommon.