Name derived from the Greek Umorphos «informe» and phallós «foul», due to the polymorphism of the appendix of the spadix. Plant with tuberous rhizome, from which the great upright inflorescence is born, long before the appearance of the compounded leaves, which do not appear in any case before the end of the flowering. The species are almost all Asian, except some African ones, and they are only partially cultivated for their gigantic proportions and for the unpleasant smell of the inflorescences that is emanated, as from other plants, to attract the necrophilous insects, like pollinators of pollination.
Amorphophallus bulbifer, a plant with tuberous rhizome from which the great upright inflorescence is born.
Cultivated species of Amorphophallus:
A. bullnfer, with green, red or pink inflorescence, carried by a stem about 30 cm high; A. rivieri (Hydrosme rivieri, proteinophallus rivieri), with 25 cm wide tuber, inflorescence with reddish spadix and green and purple spotted macula; also the stem, which reaches the meter height, is mottled. The leaves, which appear after flowering, are each carried by a long, marbled, root-shaped petiole and fanned out; he is originally from the Cocincina; A. titanum, of Sumatra, is one of the largest Araceae, with long petioles up to 5 m and the main lobes of the 3 m wide leaves; it is not cultivated.
Cultivation:
the A. need a minimum temperature of 10-13 ° C and a compound made of equal parts of fibrous earth, the earth of leaves, peat, manure, and sand; drainage must be excellent. Half-shade, frequent waterings in summer, moderate in the intermediate seasons and absolutely suspended from November to February to allow the period of rest. The multiplication happens for bulbs that are formed around the main tuber, detached and invaded in late winter. It can also be sown in spring at a temperature of 24 ° C.
Read also: Amorpha (Leguminosae)
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