Asarum minus

Asarum minus, the little heartleaf or little brown jug, is a species of flowering plant in the Aristolochiaceae family. It is native to the southeast United States.

Description
Asarum minus is a low-growing, stemless perennial. Its leaves and flowers emerge from an underground rhizome. The leaves are long-petioled, heart- to kidney-shaped, 1.5-3 inches long, variegated, evergreen-leathery, and emit a spicy smell when torn. Maroon-brown flowers are situated on short stalks, about 1/2 in. long. Flowers are firm and fleshy and have a weak bell shape that flares out into three triangular, white-mottled lobes. Fruit is a round, fleshy capsule.

Range
Asarum minus is endemic to the piedmont region, coastal plains, and mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Ecology
Flowers are often hidden under leaf litter.

Taxonomy
Asarum minus was first described by William Ashe in 1897. A. minus is the basionym of Hexastylis minor (Ashe) H.L. Blomq.