Rohdea (Sacred Lily)
Rohdea is a genus of shade plants with a native distribution that includes Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Rohdeas currently reside in the Asparagus family, closely related to aspidistra, hosta, agave, dracaena, and of course, asparagus. Everytime a new DNA/taxonomic study is published, rohdeas are moved in and out of three closely related genera (Campylandra, Gonioscypha, Tilcusta, and Tupistra).
For years, Rohdea, named in 1821, was considered monotypic (one species), Rohdea japonica (formerly Orontium japonicum (1784). In 2000, 14 species of rohdea and tupistra were all transfered to the genus Campylandra. In 2003, Tanaka, Tamura, and Yamashita merged campylandra with rohdea, and instantly, the number of rohdea species swelled to 10. In 2004, Yamashita and Tamura transferred 15 species to Rohdea, including many of the same ones that Tanaka had proposed. New Rohdea species continue to be discovered as late as 2024, bringing the total number to 33. As of 2018, JLBG has 11 of the 33 Rohdea species in cultivation.
Species of Rohdea
- Rohdea brachyanthera Guangdong, China 2021
- Rohdea changii Northwestern Yunnan, China 2021
- Rohdea chinensis var. chinensis (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra/Rohdea fargesii, Tupistra lorifolia, Tupistra/Campylandra viridifolia, Rohdea/Tupistra watanabei, Campylandra kwantungensis, Tupistra sparsiflora, Tupistra heensis) is known from twelve Chinese provinces and Taiwan. This is being batted around between listing it as Rohdea henryi and Rohdea fargesii, without any real consensus as to which has taxonomic priority.
- Rohdea chinensis var. tsinlingensis is only found in Shaanxi, China
- Rohdea chlorantha (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra chinensis, Tupistra chlorantha) is from Sichuan, China
- Rohdea chloroxantha Southern Shaanxi China 2023
- Rohdea dangii Northwest Vietnam 2021
- Rohdea delavayi (aka:Tupistra/Campylandra delavayi, Tupistra/Campylandra fimbriata, Rohdea lihengiana) is from six Chinese provinces.
- Rohdea dracaenoides is from Cambodia, Laos
- Rohdea emeiensis (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra emeiensis) is from Sichuan, China
- Rohdea ensifolia (aka: Tupistra/Camplyandra ensifolia) is only native to Yunnan, China
- Rohdea eucomoides (aka: Gonioscypha eucomoides) is from India and Myanmar (Burma)
- Rohdea extrorsandra is from Mizoram, India.
- Rohdea filosa is from North Vietnam
- Rohdea grandiflora Southern Gansu, China 2022
- Rohdea gymnogyna Gansu and Sichuan Provinces, China 2024
- Rohdea harderi is from North Vietnam
- Rohdea japonica (aka: Orontium japonicum) - native to China and Japan
- Rohdea jinshanensis (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra jinshanensis) is from Sichuan, China
- Rohdea lichuanensis (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra lichuanensis) is from SW Hubei, China
- Rohdea longipedunculata (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra longipedunculata) is from Yunnan, China
- Rohdea medogensis Southeast Tibet, China 2022
- Rohdea nepalensis (aka: Tilcusta nepalensis, Tupistra/Campylandra aurantiaca, Tupistra liangshanensis) is from Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal
- Rohdea pachynema (aka: Campylandra pachynema, Campylandra viridiflora, Tupistra/Campylandra chinensis) is native to Sichuan and Yunnan, China; similar to R. chinensis, but stoloniferous
- Rohdea rotiformis Northern Sichuan, China 2023
- Rohdea siamensis (aka: Campylandra siamensis) is a native to Northern Thailand and Laos
- Rohdea subcaudata Central Laos 2021
- Rohdea tonkinensis (aka: Campylandra cauliflora, Tupistra tonkinensis, Tupistra/Campylandra wattii, Campylandra longibracteata) is from SW China and Vietnam
- Rohdea tuberculata Central Sichuan, China 2023
- Rohdea urotepala (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra urotepala, Rohdea/Tupistra/Campylandra tui) is from Sichuan and Yunnan, China
- Rohdea verruculosa (aka:Tupistra/Campylandra verruculosa, Tupistra/Campylandra annulata) is from Guizhour and Yunnan, China
- Rohdea wangiana Southwest Sichuan, China 2021
- Rohdea wattii (aka: Tupistra/Campylandra wattii) is from Bhutan, China, India, and Vietnam
- Rohdea yunnanensis
JLBG Notes on the genus Rohdea
We feel that Rohdea watanabei from Taiwan is different enough that it whould be elevated back to species status, or at the very least the subspecies rank. It is a very different plant from Rohdea chinensis from the mainland.
We also feel that a plant we grow as Rohdea sp. nov. is a new species that deserves to be named. It flowers in November and December, which is a season in which no other Rohdea species flower. We welcome all comments on the gallery as well as images to post to make the gallery more complete. Please send all correspondence to office@plantdelights.com
Cultivated forms of Rohdea japonica
Many of the cultivated forms of Rohdea japonica developed in Japan are given names representing natural features in Japan. In Japanese, the same word may have a different meaning depending on how it is used. A few of these terms include;
- Aki - bright, hope, autumn
- Akikaze - autumn wind
- Akira - bright, clear
- Ami - beautiful
- Buchi - mottled, spotted, speckled, or dotted
- Chiyo - thousand
- Chou - butterfly
- Den - palace
- Dragon - ridges on the upper leaf surface
- Fuchi - edge or margin
- Fuji - wisteria
- Fukurin - margined leaves
- Gyoku - jewel
- Haru - light, son, male
- Hikari - light
- Hitomi - light of the pupil, history
- Ho - male phoenix
- Hoshi - star
- Hotaru - firefly
- Izumi - fountain, spring
- Kafu - family riches, baby
- Kan - crown
- Katsuo - victory
- Kazuki - harmony, peace, brightness
- Ken - healthy, strong
- Kifukurin - yellow edge
- Kirishima - A mountain in Japan
- Kiyoshi - pure
- Ko - small
- Mame - pea
- Mami - genuine, beautiful
- Matsu - waiting for God's soul to descend
- Mitsuko - light, child
- Misho - seedling
- Nishiki - brilliant brocade
- Noboru - rise, ascend
- Noburu - extend, stretch
- Nori - rites, ceremony
- Rei - beautiful, lovely, bell
- Ryou - cool, distant, reality
- Ryu - dragon
- Sakai - boundry
- Saki - blossom, hope
- Satsuma - old name for Southern Kyushu
- Sekkei - Snow
- Shima - Striped
- Shin - real, genuine
- Shiro - white
- Shishi - lion
- Suzume - sparrow
- Taiyoden - great western hall
- Taisho - Taisho era in early 20th century
- Taka - hawk
- Tamagawa - name of a Japanese river
- Tenko - light in sky/heaven
- Tora - tiger
- Yuki - happiness, snow
- Washi - eagle
- Zu - dotted leaves
Rohdeas are also divided into several groups, based on the form/size, and leaf patterns. These include:
- Bellring Insect - leaf tips form a horn-like point, margins rolled back to form horns
- Bold Dragon - Gashi dragon on steroids
- Gashi Dragon - leaves are variegated and ridged
- Giant - large forms with upright leaves, also know as Rasha
- Grains of Sand - leaves with speckled variegation
- Jumping Dragon - leaves margins are raised to fuse at the tip
- Lion - curled leaves
- Noshiba - leaves are rolled inward
- Outline - leaves are edged with white or yellow
- Striped - leaves banded vertically with white or yellow stripes
- Sword - very narrow leaves
- Tiger - leaves banded vertically
Bibliography
*A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Rohdea (Asparagaceae); Tanaka; Makinoa N.S. 9: 1-54 (2010)
*New Combinations in Rohdea (Convallariaceae); Tanaka; Novon Vol. 13, No3; Autumn 2003, PP 329-333
*Plant of Good Fortune; Hattori, Kenji and Grounds, Roger; The Garden, July 1994
*https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/japanese
*Rohdea extrorsandra (Asparagaceae), a new species from north-eastern India;N. Odyuo , Dilip Kr. Roy, & Leonid V. Averyanov; Phytotaxa 309 (3): 283–287; 2017