Arisaema engleri
Arisaema engleri from 4000′ elevation in the Hubei Province of China is a rarely offered cobra lily that’s often confused in the trade with the Japanese Arisaema sazensoo. In very early spring, the two 5-7 leaflet leaves emerge from a central stem (usually purple). Sitting between the two leaves on a short stalk is a 3-4″ tall purple and white striped pitcher. The greenish and purple-speckled sex organ sticks upright in the pitcher with the dark purple hood draped over top…probably to keep it from being arrested for flashing! Arisaema engleri is an elegant, but solitary, species that rarely offsets.
