Inflorescence of Amorphophallus aphyllus
This ethereal-looking plant is quite typical of lowland plants growing in the tropical and subtropical zones of the paleotropics, from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. Reaching heights of 30 cm, this spectacular plant is a famine food for the Wolof people but requires special preparation as the toxicity level of the tuber is such that in Upper Volta it is used as an arrow-poison.
Perhaps this member of the arum family would be more widely cultivated, but its unpleasant smell, colorfully described as ‘decaying flesh’, is a disincentive. The smell, however, fosters a rather time-sensitive reproduction. Fully open and receptive for one day, the spathe must attract the attention of insects to pollinate it.
No particular English common name exists for this species. Additional photographs of the species are available via the International Aroid Society: Amorphophallus aphyllus.
What an unusual looking plant, fascinating!
Wow! A lily that turned toward the dark side. 😉
I guess we must take the good with the ugly.
Pobody’s nerfect,
I thought this was going to be sort of like an avocado. Sure looked like one as I scrolled down. Yes, I know they grow on trees. What a stinker of a plant.
I, for one, appreciate very much the effort made, and enjoy all the photos and write-ups – a few misses just put us all on tenterhooks hoping for the next one! Thank you for taking the time to do this site.
selby gardens had thier stinky plant bloom
the links are fine so is the writeing
tis an interesting plant fine picture
thank you all
In response to Theresa, we have God to thank for all the wonderful flora and fauna in the world today. What to some may be ugly, I sometimes find quite attractive. God has put these beautiful plants here for all of us to enjoy. Thanks much Daniel for sharing your world with us.
I suggest a new common name for this one: Zombie Food! Do you think it will catch on?
I’d grow it! 🙂
The name is as intriging as the plant.
I fondly recall the “yelllow earth tongue” (Spathularia flavida) of August 31. This one looks like a giant black earth-tongue.
… or, as Lynne says, a lily that went over to the dark side. 😀
Apart from delighting in the bizarre, I do appreciate the botanical diverstiy and the science represented here. The natural world is endlessly fascinating.
Dori, thanks for pointing that out! How could I have missed that! LOL
That plant is crazy looking, at first glance I thought it was a bird!
You’ll get me to like plants yet Lindsay.
Keep up the interesting facts!
George, I’m fairly certain the evidence points to evolution as the mechanism for the diversity of life on Earth.
🙂 Personally, I think we have FSM to thank for all this fabulous diversity. I ask you, who else could come up with a creation such as this “Amorphophallus stinking-fish black earth-tongue”?
Does anyone know the name roots of this Amorphophallus aphyllus? The name seems to suggest a sexual connotation…
…or is it just my “soiled” imagination? 🙂
Fantastic beast, I thought it was going to be a fungus.
Truly fascinating plant, I love it!!! A ‘sibling’ of the great & familiar Amorphophallus titanum…I wonder if this beautiful beastie flowers as sporadically and infrequently as the Titan?
I do so wish the God squad would think their thoughts quietly and not impose them on this scientific forum *sigh*.
Just in time for football season!
The genus name means “shapeless [or mis-shaped] penis,” because the spadix on many species is vaguely phallic. In this species, it’s not particularly penis-shaped at all!
“Aphylla” means “without leaves,” as this plant flowers without leaves. The leaves appear later.
What an interesting plant, and interesting comments to go along with it! Looks like an avocado set inside a calla lily. Is it the “avocado” that is edible?
its time for octobor fest have a beer and relax
despite the gardeners best intentions
nature will improvise— relax enjoy
Several English words come to us from the Wolof (via the African American jazz scene)
DIG- (v. trans.) in the sense of to comprehend
HEPCAT- (n.) a particularly wise or sage person
leading to:
hip/hep- as in ‘with-it’
hipster – what 50s jazz fans called themselves (also known as beats/beatniks)
hippie -an insult coined by black musicians to describe the youngsters who hung around the white hipster jazz fans
and of course, the proverbial cool ‘cat’
I can dig it!
What a cool plant! It looks like an Easter egg wrapped in cabbage. An evil Easter egg.
I’d love to take a shot at growing an Amorphophallus as a houseplant, except for that whole decaying-flesh thing.
I would probably not choose “ethereal” as a descriptor for this, as ethereal has a light and wispy connotation to it – at least to me.
However, “unearthly” is one possible meaning of etherial and this specimen certainly has some other-worldly qualities to it. I would probably improvise with something like “Mordoresque”, with apologies to JRRT.
Scott is quite right on the meaning of the generic name. Many other members of the genus have inflorescences that very much live up to that etymology, even though this does not – or perhaps just takes it to a further extreme.
In response to George, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I may think is beautiful you may think not!
I am fascinated by the diversity of the arum family. It’s oddity and smell should keep most living creatures away and yet we cannot keep away. Great specimen.