Amorphophallus is a large genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the Arum family (Araceae), native to Asia, Africa, Australia and various oceanic islands. A few species are edible as "famine foods" after careful preparation to remove irritating chemicals. The genus includes the Titan arum of Indonesia, which has the largest inflorescence of any plant in the genus, and is also known as the 'corpse flower' for the pungent odour it produces during its flowering period, which can take up through seven years of growth before it occurs.
Amorphophallus
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, the elephant foot yam, a species cultivated in the tropical Indo-Pacific for their edible corms
Amorphophallus fruit
Image: Dragon stalk yam Amorphophallus commutatus by Dr Raju Kasambe DSCN3919 (1) 04
Amorphophallus titanum, the titan arum, is a flowering plant in the family Araceae. It has the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. The inflorescence of the talipot palm, Corypha umbraculifera, is larger, but it is branched rather than unbranched. A. titanum is endemic to rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Amorphophallus titanum
A. titanum: This was in May 2003 the largest scientifically documented inflorescence of the titan arum, flowering in the Botanic Gardens of the University of Bonn (Germany). Its height is 306 cm from the tuber, 274 cm from the surface of the soil
A single leaf of the species
A. titanum tuber weighing 117 kg: It subsequently produced three inflorescences simultaneously in May 2006 at the Botanic Gardens Bonn.
