Common Name:

General Information

Amorphophallus krausei is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing a solitary leaf about 25cm long from a tuberous rootstock[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible tuber and leaves. It is occasionally cultivated as a food crop in southern China[].

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[].

Botanical References

Range

E, Asia - southern China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos.

Habitat

Shaded to open, often fire-prone, places in mixed primary ever-green/deciduous forests and deciduous dipterocarp forests, forest mar-gins, bamboo thickets, on granite bedrock, sometimes near streams,
lowlands; at elevations below 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Corm
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Members of this genus generally require a moist but well-drained, humus-rich, fertile soil and a position in dappled shade[].
The flowers produce a heavy, gaseous, nauseating stench which attracts pollinating insects[].
Like many species in the family Araceae, this plant has the ability to heat the flowering spadix as the pollen becomes ready for fertilization. This heat greatly increases the strength of the aroma released by the plant, thus attracting more pollinating insects. It can also have the effect of making the insects more active, thus increasing the level of fertilization[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. They need to be thoroughly cooked[].

Tuber - cooked[]. The corm must be thoroughly boiled or baked, it is acrid when raw (see notes above on 'Known Hazards'[])[]. The fresh corms are turned into curd, or are chopped then dried[]. The curd is relatively tasteless, but it absorbs flavours well and so can be used as a carbohydrate element in a wide range of other foods[]. The tuber can be 5 - 25cm in diameter and 4 - 8cm or more high[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - usually germinates easily and well[].

The plant usually produces several offsets each year, which can be used for propagation[].

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