Dracontium gigas

Dracontium gigas
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Dracontium
Species:
D. gigas
Binomial name
Dracontium gigas
(Seem.) Engl.[1]
Synonyms[1]

Godwinia gigas Seem.

Dracontium gigas is an herbaceous rainforest plant of the calla family (Araceae), native to Central America.[1] It resembles the Old World species Amorphophallus titanum but has a spadix that is shorter than the spathe, with a somewhat smaller inflorescence up to 34 in (86 cm) in height. The leaf is up to 11.5 ft (3.5 m) high by up to 8 ft (2.4 m) wide.[2] The petiole of A. titanum can be 12 or more inches (30 or more centimeters) thick, but that of D. gigas is only 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) in thickness.[3]

This species was discovered in 1869 by Berthold Seemann, in the mountains of the Chontales Department of Nicaragua.[4] It can also be found in Trinidad and Tobago, and "gives off a disgusting carrion-like odor".[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Dracontium gigas (Seem.) Engl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  2. ^ Bown, Deni (2000). Aroids - Plants of the Arum Family (2nd ed.). Portland: Timber Press. pp. 242–243. ISBN 978-1-60469-201-3.
  3. ^ Zuchowski, Willow (2007). Tropical Plants of Costa Rica. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. p. 354 (photo). ISBN 978-0-80144-588-0. OCLC 143608544.
  4. ^ Zhu, Guanghua (Winter 1994). "Lectotypification and Epitypification of Dracontium gigas (Seemann) Engler (Araceae)". Novon. 4 (4): 404–407. doi:10.2307/3391454. JSTOR 3391454.
  5. ^ Plowman, Timothy (April 1969). "Folk uses of new world aroids". Economic Botany. 23 (2): 97–122. Bibcode:1969EcBot..23...97P. doi:10.1007/bf02860613.


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