Rohdea

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Rohdea japonica

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Ruscaceae
Genus:	Rohdea
Species:	R. japonica

Binomial name

Rohdea japonica
(Thunb.) Roth

Rohdea japonica, the sole species in the genus Rohdea, is a flowering plant in the family Ruscaceae, native to eastern Asia from southwestern China to Japan. Common names include Nippon Lily, Sacred Lily, and Japanese Sacred Lily; synonyms include Orontium japonicum, Rohdea esquirolii, and Rohdea sinensis.

It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant, with fibrous roots. The leaves are evergreen, broad lanceolate, 15-50 cm long and 2.5-7 cm broad, with an acute apex. The flowers are produced in a short, stout, dense spike 3-4 cm long, each flower pale yellowish, 4-5 mm long. The fruit is a red berry 8 mm diameter, produced in a tight cluster of several together.

Although sometimes misspelled as Rhodea, the genus was actually named after Michael Rohde (1782-1812), a botanist from Bremen.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. In Chinese it is called wan nian qing (simplified: 万年青; traditional: 萬年青; lit. "evergreen"), and in Japanese it is called omoto.

The plant is also used in traditional Chinese medicine, though it is generally regarded as inedible and possibly toxic.