''Amorphophallus abyssinicus'', also known as ''Bagana'' (
Sidamo), is a plant of the genus ''
Amorphophallus
''Amorphophallus'' (from Ancient Greek , "without form, misshapen" + ''phallos'', "penis", referring to the shape of the prominent spadix) is a large genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the ''Arum'' family ...
''. It is native to southern
Ethiopia, where it is grown in gardens, hence its
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
, ''abyssinicus'', derived from
Latin and meaning "Abyssinian" or "Ethiopian".
It is cultivated in
Gojjam, and the
Semien Omo Zone and
Konso special woreda of the
Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on lands between 1300 and 2000 meters above sea level. The tuberous roots are harvested and cooked for a long time before eating.
[Zemede Asfaw]
"Conservation and use of traditional vegetables in Ethiopia"
, ''Proceedings of the IPGRI International Workshop on Genetic Resources of Traditional Vegetables in Africa'' (Nairobi, 29–31 August 1995)
Subspecies
* ''Amorphophallus abyssinicus'' subsp. ''abyssinicus''.
* ''Amorphophallus abyssinicus'' subsp. ''akeassii''
Ittenbach, 1997
* ''Amorphophallus abyssinicus'' subsp. ''unyikae''
(Engl. & Gehrm.) Ittenb. ex Govaerts & Frodin, 2002
References
External links
Abyssinicus
Flora of Ethiopia
Root vegetables
Garden plants of Africa
Plants described in 1901
Taxa named by N. E. Brown
Taxa named by Achille Richard
{{Ethiopia-stub