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Amorphophallus
''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. The genus includes the Titan arum (''A. titanum'') of Indonesia, which has the largest inflorescence in the genus, and is known as the 'corpse flower' for the pungent odour it produces during its flowering period, which can take up to seven years of growth before it occurs. A few species are edible as "famine foods" after careful preparation to remove irritating chemicals. History The oldest systematic record of the plants was in 1692, when Van Rheede tot Drakenstein published descriptions of two plants. The name "''Amorphophallus''" was first mentioned in 1834 by the Dutch botanist Blume from Ancient Greek "without form, misshapen" and "penis", referring to the shape of the prominent spadix. Between 1876 and 1911, Engler merged a number of other genera into ''Amorphophallus'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Titan Arum
The titan arum (''Amorphophallus titanum'') is a flowering plant in the family Araceae. It has a large unbranched inflorescence; a tall single leaf, branched like a tree; and a heavy tuber which enables the plant to produce the inflorescence. ''A. titanum'' is endemic to rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Its flower blooms infrequently and only for a short period, and gives off a powerful scent of rotting flesh which attracts pollinators. As a consequence, it is characterized as a carrion flower, earning it the names corpse flower or corpse plant. The titan arum was first brought to flower in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1889. Since then it has flowered at many botanic gardens. It remains difficult for amateurs to cultivate, but one flowered at a high school in California in 2011. Flowerings can attract crowds of thousands of visitors, and in the 21st century also thousands on Internet live streaming. Etymology ''A. titanum'' derives its n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius
''Amorphophallus paeoniifolius'', the elephant foot yam or whitespot giant arum, is a tropical plant native to Island Southeast Asia. It is cultivated for its edible tubers in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Madagascar, New Guinea, and the Pacific islands. Because of its production potential and popularity as a vegetable in various cuisines, it can be raised as a cash crop. Origin The elephant foot yam is used as food in Island Southeast Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, South Asia, New Guinea, Oceania, and Madagascar. Its origin and center of domestication was formerly considered to be India, where it is most widely utilized as a food resource. But a genetic study in 2017 has shown that Indian populations of elephant foot yams have lower genetic diversity than those in Island Southeast Asia, therefore it is now believed that elephant foot yams originated from Island Southeast Asia and spread westwards into Thailand and India, resulting in three independent domestication events. From ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Araceae
The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also known as the arum family, members are often colloquially known as aroids. This family of 114 genera and about 3,750 known species is most diverse in the New World tropics, although also distributed in the Old World tropics and northern temperate regions. Description Within the Araceae, species are often rhizomatous or tuberous; many are epiphytic, creeping lianas or vining plants, and the leaves and tissues of the entire plant nearly always contains irritating calcium oxalate crystals or raphides, in varying degrees. The foliage can vary considerably from species to species. The majority of species produce an inflorescence consisting of a spadix (which some compare to a corn cob, in appearance), which is nearly always surrounded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spadix (botany)
In botany, a spadix ( ; : spadices , ) is a type of inflorescence having small flowers borne on a fleshy stem. Spadices are typical of the family Araceae, the arums or aroids. The spadix is typically surrounded by a leaf-like curved bract known as a spathe. For example, the "flower" of the well known ''Anthurium'' spp. is a typical spadix with a large colorful spathe. In this type of inflorescence, the Peduncle (botany), peduncle is thick, long and fleshy, having small sessile unisexual flowers covered with one or more large green or colourful Bract, bracts (spathe). Spadix inflorescence is found in colocasia, Araceae, aroids, maize and Arecaceae, palms (palms have compound spadix). Plant sexuality, Monoecious aroids have unisexual male and female flowers on the same individual and the spadix is usually organized with female flowers towards the bottom and male flowers towards the top. Typically, the Stigma (botany), stigmas are no longer receptive when pollen is released which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dracontium
''Dracontium'' is a genus of flowering plants similar to those of '' Amorphophallus''. Unlike ''Amorphophallus'' which is found in the Old World, this genus has a New World distribution and is native to South America, Central America, southern Mexico, and the West Indies. ''Dracontium'' species can be distinguished from related genera by their inflorescence, which is smaller and unisexual. The plant has a large ''caudex''like tuber similar to that of '' Amorphophallus'', but rounder, and with no central and circular scar mark. When ''Dracontium'' plants begin to flower, the tuber swells and smoothens.Zhu, G. h. & T. B. Croat. 2004. Revision of ''Dracontium'' (Araceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 91(4): 593–667 Species More than 20 ''Dracontium'' species have been described: * '' Dracontium amazonense'' G.H.Zhu & Croat - Venezuela, Peru, northwestern Brazil * '' Dracontium angustispathum'' G.H.Zhu & Croat - Colombia, Peru * '' Dracontium asperispathum'' G.H.Zhu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Globose
This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary of leaf morphology. For other related terms, see Glossary of phytopathology, Glossary of lichen terms, and List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names. A B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a main axis (Peduncle (botany), peduncle) and by the timing of its flowering (determinate and indeterminate). Morphology (biology), Morphologically, an inflorescence is the modified part of the Shoot (botany), shoot of spermatophyte, seed plants where flowers are formed on the axis of a plant. The modifications can involve the length and the nature of the internode (botany), internodes and the phyllotaxis, as well as variations in the proportions, compressions, swellings, adnations, connations and reduction of main and secondary axes. One can also define an inflorescence as the reproductive portion of a plant that bears a cluster of flowers in a specific pattern. General characteristics Inflorescences are described by many different charact ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
