Pinellia

Pinellia ternata, the crow-dipper, is a plant of the arum family native to China, Japan and Korea. It grows as an invasive weed in parts of Europe, in Austria and Germany, and in North America. The leaves are trifoliate, the flowers have the spathe and spadix form typical of the family, and the plant spreads by rhizomes and by small bulblets at the base of each leaf. It is toxic in raw form and must be processed. In traditional Chinese medicine it is known as an herb that removes phlegm-dampness. The alkaloids found in its rhizomes include guanosine, thymidine, choline and L-ephedrine, although the page reports that one study found no ephedrine in 55 samples, and the ephedrine content differs with the processing method.