Arisaema question

[pbruggeman@tiscali.nl]

Dear Henry,

Birds are probably the norm with Arisaema but in S India the berries
of A. neglectum are orange and eaten by wild boar. The red berries of
A. tortuosum that grow nearby are left untouched by them. For the
African species there are reports that the red berries  of several
species are eaten by small rodents but the amount of oxalates in the
flesh of the berries depends on the species so some might be more "in
demand" than others. With most species the berries fall to the ground
(or the pseudostem bends to the ground) so ground dwelling animals
could also play a role. Because of the oxalates in the flesh of the
berries most animals will find the red berries unedible but sometimes
cows in W Bengal are forcefed the berries of A. tortuosum to de-worm
them!

Pascal