If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Amorphophallus abyssinicus

(A.Rich.) N.E.Br.

Araceae

+ Synonyms

Amorphophallus anisolobus Peter

Amorphophallus barteri N.E.Br.

Amorphophallus chevalieri (Engl.) Engl. & Gehrm.

Amorphophallus coffeatus Stapf

Amorphophallus foetidus (Engl.) Engl. & Gehrm.

Amorphophallus gratus (Schott) N.E.Br.

Amorphophallus schweinfurthii (Engl.) N.E.Br.

Amorphophallus unyikae Engl. & Gehrm.

Amorphophallus warneckei (Engl.) Engl. & Gehrm.

Arum abyssinicum A.Rich.

Corynophallus gratus (Schott) Kuntze

Hansalia grata Schott

Hydrosme chevalieri Engl.

Hydrosme foetida Engl.

Hydrosme grata (Schott) Engl.

Hydrosme schweinfurthii Engl.

Hydrosme seretii De Wild.

Hydrosme warneckei Engl.

Common Name:

Amorphophallus abyssinicus
Drawing of the leaves, flowers, plant and rhizome
Photograph by: Engler, H.G.A., Das Pflanzenreich, Araceae - Lasioideae, vol. 23: [Heft 48], p. 70, fig. 25 (1911)
Creative Commons License
Amorphophallus abyssinicus Amorphophallus abyssinicus

General Information

Amorphophallus abyssinicus is a herbaceous, perennial plant with fleshy leaves growing up to 30cm tall from a subterranean tuber[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The tubers are sometimes gathered from the wild, mainly in times of shortage, as a local food source. The plant is sometimes cultivated as a food crop in fields and occasionally in gardens in Ethiopia[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

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 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 the plant.
People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet[
238
Title
Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
Publication
 
Author
Bown. D.
Publisher
Dorling Kindersley, London.
Year
1995
ISBN
0-7513-020-31
Description
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
].

Botanical References


Range

Tropical Africa - Cote D'Ivoire to Ethiopia, south to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Habitat

Damp places in savannah[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *
HabitPerennial
Height0.30 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details


Members of this genus generally require a moist but well-drained, humus-rich, fertile soil and a position in dappled shade[
472
Title
Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family.
Publication
 
Author
Bown D.
Publisher
Timber Press; Portland, Oregon.
Year
2000
ISBN
0-88192-485-7
Description
An excellent treatment of the family Araceae, giving lots of information about the plants, how to grow them, their uses etc. I found it a bit disordered - if you want all the information on a specific species you have to trawl through the whole book.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. They must be thoroughly cooked[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Tuber - cooked[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
]. The corm must be thoroughly boiled or baked, it is acrid when raw (see notes above on 'Known Hazards'[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
])[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Mainly used in times of shortage[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The flattened tuber is up to 7cm in diameter.

Medicinal

The tuber is used in Nigeria as a cure for 'delayed birth', presumably to induce delivery[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Amorphophallus+abyssinicus>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.