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]
| Dracontium gigas | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Dracontium |
| Species: | D. gigas
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dracontium gigas (Seem.) Engl. 1879
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Godwinia gigas Seem. 1869 | |
This species was discovered in 1869 by Berthold Seemann, in the mountains of the Chontales Department of Nicaragua.[3] It can also be found in Trinidad and Tobago, and "gives off a disgusting carrion-like odor".[4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Dracontium gigas (Seem.) Engl". Plants of the World Online.
- ^ Bown, Deni (2000). Aroids - Plants of the Arum Family (2nd ed.). Portland: Timber Press. pp. 242–243. ISBN 978-1-60469-201-3.
- ^ Zhu, Guanghua (Winter 1994). "Lectotypification and Epitypification of Dracontium gigas (Seemann) Engler (Araceae)". Novon. 4 (4): 404–407. doi:10.2307/3391454. JSTOR 3391454.
- ^ 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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