Last February 2014, I bought this plant’s tuber in a village not far from my house and then I planted it in a large pot. Not long after, the beautiful leaves sticked out from the surface like a spiral then develops into a tree with light green curly leaves. I do not remember how long it lasted until finally the tree wilted and died.
And last October 2014, It was flowering reaching the top height to 13 inches with a diameter at the time of full bloom measuring 15 inches. When the pollen pistil bloom, it smells like carrion, attracting flies come easily. A stunning flower of considering size with its unusual leaf makes it a really unique in our garden. Many friends and neighbors visit our house.
We call this plant Suweg Amorpophallus paeoniifollius grows in its wild form in Asia, includes Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Malaysia. It belongs to the Aroid family, Araceae. This family is recognised as having horticultural names such as Elephant foot yam, or Whitespot giant arum, stink lily and Suweg in Indonesia.
In the vegetative phase appears as foliage branches with a soft”rod” without stem but the bulbs that are always under the ground. The tuber is edible in a way to boil it first to remove compounds of calcium oxalate crystals which are highly acrid and can irritate the mouth and throat on ingestion. This substance is toxic fresh and, if raw eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel so itchy as if hundreds of small needles are digging in to them. However, calcium oxalate is easily broken down either by thoroughly cooking the plant or by fully drying it and, in either of these states, it is safe to eat them. Usually, the tuber can be harvested after 9-10 months old.
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Februari lalu saya membeli umbi tanaman ini di sebuah desa tidak jauh dari rumah saya dan kemudian saya menanamnya dalam pot besar. Tidak lama setelah itu, daun yang indah mencuat keluar dari permukaan tanah seperti spiral kemudian berkembang menjadi sebuah pohon dengan daun keriting hijau muda. Saya tidak ingat berapa lama berlangsung hingga akhirnya pohon itu layu dan mati. Dan pada akhir bulan Oktober lalu, ia berbunga mencapai ketinggian puncaknya 13 inci dengan diameter pada saat mekar penuh berukuran 15 inci. Ketika serbuk putik sari mekar, baunya seperti bangkai, menarik lalat datang dengan mudah. Bunga yang mempesona karena besarnya dengan daun yang aneh, membuatnya hal ini benar-benar unik di kebun kami. Banyak teman-teman dan tetangga mengunjungi rumah kami.
Kami menyebutnya tanaman ini suweg Amorpophallus paeoniifollius tumbuh dalam bentuk liar di Asia, termasuk Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Filipina dan Malaysia. Ini milik keluarga aroid, Araceae. Keluarga ini diakui sebagai memiliki nama hortikultura seperti gajah kaki ubi, atau Whitespot giant arum, stink lily dan suweg di Indonesia. Pada fase vegetatif muncul sebagai cabang daun dengan “tangkai” lunak tanpa batang kecuali umbinya yang selalu berada di bawah tanah. Umbinya dapat dimakan dengan cara merebus terlebih dahulu untuk menghilangkan senyawa kristal kalsium oksalat yang sangat tajam dan dapat mengiritasi mulut dan tenggorokan jika terkonsumsi. Zat ini beracun dan, jika dimakan mentah, membuat mulut, lidah dan tenggorokan merasa sangat gatal seolah-olah ratusan jarum kecil menusuk-nusuknya . Namun demikian, kalsium oksalat mudah dihilangkan dengan cara memasaknya dengan benar atau dengan mengeringkannya. dengan kata lain, adalah aman untuk dimakan. Biasanya, umbi bisa dipanen setelah berumur 9-10 bulan.
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Interesting plant, and it looks nice even if it doesn’t smell so when it blooms!
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Yes it is, unfortunately the flower lasted not long and we will probably see them again some years to come.
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How beautiful. It looks hardy and fragile at the same time.
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Indeed, really beautiful and unique. Meanwhile is a rare attraction to us. Thank you very much for your comment, my dear friend.
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Wow, this is truly exquisite! It is so unique and wondrous. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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You are most welcome, Tina. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you. 🙂
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I know this plant – I can see why your neighbors came to see it – it’s so unusual. Thanks for sharing with us – very nice photos!
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You are most welcome my dear friend. I am so glad you have known this plant and enjoyed my photos too.
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Does it keep smelling of carrion while cooking? A very good food for loosing weight. Bauhahaha
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Bwahaha… No of course not but the flowers. I heard many people eat the tuber for curing cancer too. Thank you, Bear. 🙂
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