Plant Families: Araliaceae and Aristolochiaceae - Ginseng and Birthwort

Wild Ginger, an early-spring bloomer than can be used as a substitute for ginger when cooked with sugar, has, perhaps, the most "bashful" wildflower of all. Growing at ground level in between the two leafstalks, it is red-brown in color, and often hidden by last autumn's leaf litter. The plant's pair of hairy, heart-shaped leaves are much easier to spot.

The flower grows so near the ground to accommodate early spring insects that emerge in search of thawing animal carcasses, which died during the winter. It is believed these insects are drawn to the carrion-colored blossoms as much as the pollen, much of which they devour, but some of which they do carry to other flowers.

Though a namesake, so-to-speak, of a tropical herb, the two plants are not related, Wild Ginger being, as mentioned above, a member of the Birthwort Family.

This family of plants consists of herbs and woody vines, usually with heart-shaped leaves, and medium to large, strange, often carrion-scented flowers. These flowers are bilaterally or radially symmetrical, with a bent or three-lobed calyx that has united red, purple or brown sepals. There are no petals, and 6 or more stamens. All the parts are attached at the top of the ovary.

The leaves are alternate, stalked or basal, and untoothed. The fruit produced is a capsule with 4 to 6 chambers.

There are about 400 species in this small family, in fewer than 20 genera. Three genera occur in North America, Asarum, Hexastylis and Aristolochia. North American species include Wild Ginger, Long-tipped Wild Ginger (A. acuminatum), Short-lobed Wild Ginger (A. reflexum), Large-flowered Hexastylis (H. Shuttleworthii), Virginia Hexastylis (H. virginica), Memminger's Hexastylis (H. Memmingeri), Halberd-leaved Hexastylis (H. arifolia), Virginia Snakeroot (Aristolochia Serpentaria), Birthwort (A. Clematitis), Dutchman's Pipe (A. macrophylla) and Woolly Pipe-vine (A. tomentosa). Dutchman's Pipe flowers were once used to aid in childbirth because they were thought to resemble the human fetus.

Like Ginseng, Native Americans found uses for Wild Ginger, using it as a medicine and a flavoring. Woodsmen of the past century also found a use for it, candying the root by simmering it in thick sugar-water for as long as 4 days. The leftover ginger-syrup was poured over pancakes and fruit.

Historically useful plants such as Ginseng, Dwarf Ginseng and Wild Ginger are truly woodland treasures, but you wouldn't

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