Arisaema quinatum is a species of flowering plant in the arum family Araceae. It is a member of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, a group of closely-related taxa in eastern North America. The specific name quinatum means "divided into five lobes", a reference to its characteristic leaves. It is commonly known as the southern Jack-in-the-pulpit (or southern Jack) but some refer to it as Preacher John. Description Arisaema quinatum is a herbaceous, perennial, flowering plant growing from a corm. Unlike other members of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, it has 3–5 leaflets per leaf. Its spadix is thin, cylindrical, and curved outward whereas the spadix of Arisaema triphyllum is thick, cylindrical or club-shaped, and straight. Taxonomy Arisaema quinatum was first described as Arum quinatum by the English botanist Thomas Nuttall in 1818. Its type specimen was collected in Georgia by "Dr. Baldwyn", apparently a reference to American physician and botanist William Baldwin. The Austrian botanist Heinrich Wilhelm Schott placed Arum quinatum in genus Arisaema in 1856. The name Arisaema quinatum is widely used today but Nuttall's contribution is sometimes overlooked. Arum polymorphum was described by Samuel Botsford Buckley in 1843. It was placed in genus Arisaema by Alvan Wentworth Chapman in 1860. Some authorities consider Arisaema polymorphum to be a synonym for Arisaema quinatum, while others believe Buckley's taxon is a hybrid of Arisaema quinatum and Arisaema pusillum. Arisaema quinatum is a member of the Arisaema triphyllum complex, a group of closely-related taxa that also includes Arisaema pusillum, Arisaema stewardsonii, and Arisaema triphyllum. Some authorities consider Arisaema quinatum to be a synonym for Arisaema triphyllum subsp. quinatum, while other authorities, including the influential Flora of North America, lump all of the taxa in the complex (including Arisaema quinatum) into a single species concept. However, most authorities accept the species-level members of the complex, including Arisaema quinatum. Distribution and habitat Arisaema quinatum is narrowly endemic to the southeastern United States, ranging from North Carolina to east Texas. It is known (but rare) as far north as West Virginia. A disjunct population occurs in the central portion of the Florida Panhandle, in Walton, Liberty, Leon, and Jefferson counties, where the species is commonly known as Prester John. Conservation The global conservation status of Arisaema quinatum is unknown. It is uncommon (S3) in North Carolina, and rare in Florida. References Bibliography External links quinatum Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of Texas Plants described