Sikkim cobra lily
Arisaema utile
Family: Araceae
What it is like
A herb. It grows 16-33 cm tall. The bulb is a flattened round shape. It is 2.4 cm long by 4 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 20-35 cm long. The leaves are stalked and divided into 3 parts. The leaflets are oval and angular and red near the edges. The leaflets are 9-20 cm long by 4-18 cm wide. The leaf stalk has dark spots. The flower spathe is purple with white stripes.
There are about 150-170 Arisaema species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. In Nepal it grows between 1800-3700 m altitude in openings in the forest. It grows in shade forest.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sikkim, Tibet
How it is used for food
The leaves and spathe are cooked and eaten and fermented for storage. They are used in soup. The tubers are dried and ground into flour.
It is popular.
Edible parts
Leaves, spathe, bulb, root
How it is grown
It is grown from corms.
Its other names
Local names
Dhokaya, Sri-da-pa, Tinpate