Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
| Amorphophallus paeoniifolius | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (common name: elephant yam)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a pot in a warm greenhouse as soon as it is ripe and the pot sealed in a plastic bag to retain moisture. It usually germinates in 1 - 8 months at 24°c[1]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least a couple of years. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and give them some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away strongly.
Cultivation: Requires shade and a rich soil in its native habitats, but it probably requires a position with at least moderate sun in Britain.
Cultivated for its edible tuber in Asia[2], plants are not winter hardy outdoors in Britain but are sometimes grown outdoors in this country as part of a sub-tropical bedding display[3].
The tuber is harvested in the autumn after top growth has been cut back by frost and it must be kept quite dry and frost-free over winter[3][1]. It is then potted up in a warm greenhouse in spring ready to be planted out after the last expected frosts. The tubers are planted 15cm deep[3]. It is unclear from the reports that we have seen whether or not this root can be divided, it is quite possible that seed is the only means of increase[K].
The plant has one enormous leaf and one spadix annually. It requires hand pollination in Britain[3][1]. When ripe for pollination, the flowers have a foetid smell to attract carrion flies and midges. This smell disappears once the flower has been pollinated[4].
Range: Tropical regions from Madagascar to Asia, Polynesia and northern Australia.
Habitat: Loose leafy detritus in moist shady habitats[5]. Tropical conditions in secondary forests, shrub forests and grasslands in arid valley areas at elevations below 750 metres[6].
Edibility: Rhizome - cooked[2][7][8][9]. Acrid raw[2], it must be thoroughly boiled or baked[10][11]. A very large root, it can be up to 50cm in diameter[5][12][6]. Caution is advised, see notes above on probable toxicity.
Leaves and petioles - they must be thoroughly cooked[9][13]. Caution is advised, see notes above on possible toxicity.
Medicinal: The root is carminative, restorative, stomachic and tonic[14][12]. It is dried and used in the treatment of piles and dysentery[14][12]. The fresh root acts as an acrid stimulant and expectorant, it is much used in India in the treatment of acute rheumatism[14][12]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pollinators: Flies
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a family where most of the members contain calcium oxalate crystals. This substance is toxic fresh and, if eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel as if hundreds of small ne
Also Known As: A. campanulatus. (Roxb.)Blume.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Heywood, Vernon. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Manandhar, N. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Himalaya. Department of Medicinal Plants, 1993.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.