Aspidistra elatior
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644015a83675b903031801 |
| Scientific name | Aspidistra elatior |
| Authority | Blume |
| First published in | Tijdschr. Natuurl. Gesch. Physiol. 1: 76 (1834) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Aspidistra elatior is widely cultivated and sold as an ornamental houseplant, often marketed as the “cast‑iron plant” for its tolerance to neglect. It is a staple in the indoor plant trade and is supplied by nurseries in potted form for retail and wholesale markets.
- In landscape horticulture it is used as a shade‑tolerant groundcover or accent plant in public gardens, office courtyards, shopping‑mall interiors, and other low‑light environments where few evergreen species thrive.
- The plant’s foliage is harvested as a cut‑green filler in the floristry industry. The stiff, leathery leaves retain their dark green colour and texture in floral arrangements, and the stems can be dried for longer‑lasting decorative use.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Apart from its role in floristry, Aspidistra elatior does not have documented non‑medicinal industrial uses. Its primary contribution to the ornamental sector is through live plant sales and cut‑foliage supply.
Properties relevant to use:
- The species is evergreen, with leathery, glossy leaves typically 20–30 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, covered by a thick cuticle that limits transpiration.
- This morphology confers high drought tolerance and allows the plant to survive periods of low watering.
- Leaves contain high levels of chlorophyll and are adapted to low light; they maintain photosynthetic activity under photon fluxes of 20–30 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹, a typical indoor ambient level.
- Growth habit is compact and slow; mature clumps consist of a rosette of leaves that require minimal pruning, and the plant responds well to division for propagation.
- The foliage’s uniform dark green colour and lack of seasonal senescence provide consistent aesthetic value for interior displays.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Aspidistra elatior is propagated mainly by division of mature clumps, a method that requires no seed collection and reduces pressure on wild populations. Nurseries typically divide plants every two to three years.
- Production requires modest water and fertilizer inputs; the species is resistant to many common pests, limiting the need for pesticide applications.
- Its longevity (individuals can persist for decades) and low invasive risk mean that once established, plants rarely need replacement, supporting sustainable sourcing.
Standards and regulation:
- No specific ISO/ASTM standards exist for ornamental Aspidistra elatior. However, the movement of live plants and cut foliage is subject to national phytosanitary regulations (e.g., USDA‑APHIS import permits in the United States and EU Plant Health legislation in the European Union).
- Cut‑foliage exports for floristry generally require a phytosanitary certificate confirming freedom from regulated pests and diseases.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Aspidistra punctata var. albomaculata | Hook. | Bot. Mag. 89: t. 5386. 1863 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | cast iron plant |
| English | bar-room plant |
| Spanish | plectogyne variegata |
| Arabic | دريقة عالية |
| Bulgarian | Високо семейно щастие |
| Czech | kořenokvětka vyšší |
| Persian | برگ عبایی |
| Finnish | tuonenkielo |
| Japanese | バラン |
| Japanese | ハラン |
| Korean | 엽란 |
| Norwegian Bokmål | ungkarstrøst |
| Slovenian | navadna ščitovka |
| Telugu | ఆస్పీడిస్ట్రా ఇలేటిఓర్ |
| Thai | บัวดอย |
| Thai | ผู้เฒ่าลืมไม้เท้า |
| Chinese | 一葉蘭 |
| Chinese | 蜘蛛抱蛋 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Aspidistra elatior subsp. cephalostigma | N.Tanaka | Makinoa , n.s., 11: 32 (2016) |
| Aspidistra elatior subsp. elatior | Unknown |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Aspidistra elatior var. attenuata | (Hayata) S.S.Ying | Fl. Taiwan , ed. 2, 5: 40 (2000) |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
-
Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
- Taiwan
-
China
-
Europe click to expand
-
Northern Europe
- Great Britain
-
Southwestern Europe
- Spain
-
Northern Europe
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Southwest
-
Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Florida
-
Mexico
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000637192 |
| UNII | 17GN1P8M94 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 4408 |
| Flora of Alabama | 5432 |
| Tropicos | 18404491 |
| INPN | 448110 |
| Flora of Italy | 9300 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:531586-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-275646 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 282290 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1023684 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 39526 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0200001837 |
| IPNI | 531586-1 |
| iNaturalist | 125396 |
| GBIF | 2769937 |
| Freebase | /m/05m_7sm |
| EPPO | AJDEL |
| EOL | 991233 |
| USDA GRIN | 401564 |
| Wikipedia | Aspidistra_elatior |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| (1S,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12R,13R,16S)-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-ene-6,2'-oxane]-16-ol | 124485504 | Click to see | 414.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.21.224 |
| 7,9,13-Trimethyl-5'-methylidenespiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-14,15,16,17,18-pentol | 13829629 | Click to see CC1C2C(CC3C2(CCC4C3CCC5(C4(C(C(C(C5O)O)O)O)C)O)C)OC16CCC(=C)CO6 | 478.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| delta-25(27)-Pentrogenin | 44559461 | Click to see CC1C2C(CC3C2(CCC4C3CCC5(C4(C(C(C(C5O)O)O)O)C)O)C)OC16CCC(=C)CO6 | 478.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| Spirost-5-en-3-ol | 234096 | Click to see | 414.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.21.224 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Steroidal glycosides / Steroidal saponins | |||||
| (1S,2S,4S,5'S,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13S,14S,15S,16S,17S,18R)-5',7,9,13-tetramethyl-18-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-14,15,16,17-tetrol | 163004564 | Click to see | 642.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
| (1S,2S,4S,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13S,14R,16S,17S,18R)-6-methoxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-6-[(3S)-3-methyl-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxybutyl]-18-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-14,16,17-triol | 162871367 | Click to see CC1C2C(CC3C2(CCC4C3CCC5(C4(C(CC(C5O)O)O)C)OC6C(C(C(C(O6)CO)O)O)O)C)OC1(CCC(C)COC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)O)O)OC | 821.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
| (1S,2S,4S,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13S,14S,15S,16S,17S,18R)-6-methoxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-6-[(3S)-3-methyl-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxybutyl]-18-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-14,15,16,17-tetrol | 163190894 | Click to see | 837.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
| (2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2R)-4-[(1S,2S,4S,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16S)-16-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-hydroxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-en-6-yl]-2-methylbutoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 102354269 | Click to see | 1213.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
| (2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2R)-4-[(1S,2S,4S,6S,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16S)-16-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-hydroxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-en-6-yl]-2-methylbutoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162975964 | Click to see CC1C2C(CC3C2(CCC4C3CC=C5C4(CCC(C5)OC6C(C(C(C(O6)CO)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)OC8C(C(C(CO8)O)O)O)OC9C(C(C(C(O9)CO)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)OC1(CCC(C)COC1C(C(C(C(O1)CO)O)O)O)O | 1213.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| (2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2R)-4-[(1S,2S,4S,6S,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16S)-16-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-methoxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-en-6-yl]-2-methylbutoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162944565 | Click to see | 1227.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(1S,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12R,13R,16S)-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-ene-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162909700 | Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CC=C6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)OC9C(C(C(CO9)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)C)OC1 | 1033.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.21.224 |
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(1S,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16R)-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-ene-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162909698 | Click to see | 1033.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF950273R |
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(1S,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16S)-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-ene-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 21670028 | Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CC=C6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)OC9C(C(C(CO9)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)C)OC1 | 1033.20 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/JF950273R https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(9S,13R,16S)-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-ene-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 6325867 | Click to see | 1033.20 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 https://doi.org/10.1021/JF950273R |
| 2-[2-[4,5-Dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-(5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-ene-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl)oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 12308695 | Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CC=C6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)OC9C(C(C(CO9)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)C)OC1 | 1033.20 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.21.224 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 https://doi.org/10.1021/JF950273R |
| 2-[4-[16-[3,4-Dihydroxy-5-[5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-6-hydroxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icos-18-en-6-yl]-2-methylbutoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 73198983 | Click to see | 1213.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| 6-Methoxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-6-[3-methyl-4-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxybutyl]-18-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-14,15,16,17-tetrol | 162973731 | Click to see CC1C2C(CC3C2(CCC4C3CCC5(C4(C(C(C(C5O)O)O)O)C)OC6C(C(C(C(O6)CO)O)O)O)C)OC1(CCC(C)COC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)O)O)OC | 837.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
| 6-Methoxy-7,9,13-trimethyl-6-[3-methyl-4-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxybutyl]-18-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-14,16,17-triol | 162871366 | Click to see | 821.00 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
| Sibiricoside A | 46173928 | Click to see | 1227.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.30.3476 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Hydroxy acids and derivatives / Medium-chain hydroxy acids and derivatives | |||||
| (2R)-2-hydroxy-2-(4-methylsulfanylbutyl)butanedioic acid | 163009739 | Click to see | 236.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.32.1451 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |