Arthropodium

Arthropodium is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the subfamily Lomandroideae of the family Asparagaceae.^[1] Members of this genus are native to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Madagascar.^[2]

Arthropodium
Arthropodium cirratum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Lomandroideae
Genus:	Arthropodium R. Br.
Species
See text

Taxonomy

Accepted species

Species accepted as of July 2014 are:^[2][3][4]

• Arthropodium bifurcatum Heenan, A.D.Mitch. & de Lange – New Zealand North Island
• Arthropodium caesioides H.Perrier – Madagascar
• Arthropodium candidum Raoul – New Zealand North and South Islands
• Arthropodium cirratum (G.Forst.) R.Br. – rengarenga, renga lily, New Zealand rock lily, or maikaika – New Zealand North and South Islands
• Arthropodium curvipes S.Moore – Western Australia
• Arthropodium dyeri (Domin) Brittan – Western Australia
• Arthropodium milleflorum (Redouté) J.F.Macbr. – pale vanilla lily – New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania
• Arthropodium minus R.Br. – small vanilla lily – New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania
• Arthropodium neocaledonicum Baker – New Caledonia

Formerly included species

• Arthropodium fimbriatum R.Br. – see Dichopogon fimbriatus
• Arthropodium strictum R.Br. – chocolate lily – see Dichopogon strictus

Human uses

The rhizomes of some species can be eaten as root vegetables, including A. cirratum, A. milleflorum, A. minus, and A. strictum.^{[citation needed]} A. cirratum is native to New Zealand, where it may once have been farmed. It is used for medicine as well as food, and has symbolic importance in traditional Māori culture.

See also

• List of plants known as lily

References

1. Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161 (2): 132–136, doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x
2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. "Arthropodium". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
4. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, archived from the original on June 28, 2009, retrieved 2011-05-25, search for "Dichopogon"

External links

• Significance of A. cirratum in Maori culture
• Plants for a Future database on A. milleflorum
• Photograph of underground parts of A. milleflorum