Amorphophallus konjac
K.Koch
Araceae
Amorphophallus mairei H.Lév.
Amorphophallus nanus H.Li & C.L.Long
Amorphophallus palmiformis Durieu ex Rivière
Amorphophallus rivierei Durand ex Carrière
Brachyspatha konjac (K.Koch) K.Koch
Conophallus konjak Schott
Conophallus konniaku Schott ex Fesca
Hydrosme rivierei (Durand ex Carrière) Engl.
Proteinophallus rivierei (Durand ex Carrière) Hook.f.
Tapeinophallus rivierei (Durand ex Carrière) Baill.
Common Name: Devil's Tongue
Cultivated for food, the plant sends up its large flowering stems before the leaves are produced.
Photograph by: KENPEI
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Cultivated for food, the plant sends up its large flowering stems before the leaves are produced.
Photograph by: KENPEI
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Cultivated at the Göteborgs Botaniska Trädgård
Photograph by: C T Johansson
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
It might not look like it, but this is all one leaf, and it has not yet fully unfolded
Photograph by: Sebastian Stabinger
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Ripening fruits
Photograph by: Salix
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flower spathe cut open to reveal male flowers (towards the top) and female flowers near the base.
Photograph by: Paethon
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
General Information
Devil's tongue is a perennial plant producing a single leaf each year that can be 100cm long, growing from a globose tuber that can be 30cm in diameter[
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.
]. It produces long, rhizomatous offsets that can be 50cm long and 3cm thick[
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.
].
This species is being increasingly cultivated for its edible tubers in Japan and China[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Known Hazards
We have one report that this plant is very toxic raw, though no more details are given[
178- Title
- Chinese Materia Medica.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Stuart. Rev. G. A.
- Publisher
- Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
- Year
- 1911
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
]. 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
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.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
E. Asia - southwest China.
Habitat
Loose leafy detritus in moist shady habitats[
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.
]. Forest margins and thickets at elevations of 830 - 1,200 metres in western Yunnan[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Perennial |
Height | 0.75 m |
Pollinators | Flies |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Plants can tolerate a minimum temperature of 15°c during the growing season, though the optimum range is 20 - 25°c[
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.
].
The best crops are produced on deep, fertile, alluvial soils that are slightly acid[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. Dislikes heavy clay soils[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. Plants require some shade, especially when young[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. 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.
].
The plant produces one enormous leaf and one flowering stem annually. When ripe for pollination, the flowers have a foetid smell to attract carrion flies and midges. This smell disappears once the flower has been pollinated[
245- Title
- Scented Flora of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Genders. R.
- Publisher
- Robert Hale. London.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
- 0-7090-5440-8
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
].
The tubers are planted 15cm deep[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
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[
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
Corm - 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.
]. The root 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.
]. Very large, it can be up to 30cm in diameter[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. In Japan the large brown tubers are peeled, cooked and pounded to extract their starch, which is solidified with dissolved limestone into an edible gel called 'Konnyaku'[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. Konnyaku is a type of flour valued for its use in many dietary products[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. The flour is valued for its ability to clean the digestive tract without being a laxative[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. A nutritional analysis is available[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. This root is very high in water and low in calories, so it is being promoted as a diet food in N. America[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Especially just before the foliage declines prior to dormancy, the tubers are a rich source of mannan, a polysaccharide of mannose and glucose[
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.
]. The mannose is extracted and widely used in foods for diabetics[
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.
]. Glucomannan, a soluble fibre formed from mannan and glucose, cannot be metabolized by the human body, but is metabolized by intestinal bacteria. Inside the digestive system, glucomannan absorbs up to 200 times its weight in water without any negative action upon the digestive system. It therefore can give a feeling of fullness and be of use to aid in weight loss, it also relieves constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as reducing serum cholesterol levels[
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.
].
Glucomannan is widely used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in foods and drinks[
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.
].
Medicinal
The root is oxytocic and sialagogue[
178- Title
- Chinese Materia Medica.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Stuart. Rev. G. A.
- Publisher
- Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
- Year
- 1911
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
]. It is used in the treatment of cancer[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Glucomannan, a soluble fibre obtained from the tuber, cannot be metabolized by the human body, but is metabolized by intestinal bacteria. Inside the digestive system, glucomannan absorbs up to 200 times its weight in water without any negative action upon the digestive system. It therefore can give a feeling of fullness and be of use to aid in weight loss, it also relieves constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as reducing serum cholesterol levels[
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.
].
The flowers are febrifuge[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
A system of cultivation, known as jinjenjo, is often practised in Japan. In this, the plants are grown in a natural plant community and are heavily mulchd with grain straw or wild herbs. The plants thus grown are remarkably free from pests and diseases. The largest tubers are harvested at the end of the year, leaving the rest in the ground to grow on for harvest in later years[
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.
].
Other Uses
The plant has insecticidal properties[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Glucomannan, obtained from the tuber, has a wide range of used in various industries. It has gelling and film-forming properties and is widely used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in foods, drinks, cosmetics and the pharmaceutical industry. It is also used as a non-clay drilling fluid in the diamond and oil industries[
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.
].
Propagation
Seed - best sown in containers as soon as it is ripe and the pot sealed in a plastic bag to retain moisture. It usually germinates in 1 - 8 months at 24°c[
133- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 1.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on untill large enough to plant out.
Division of corms when the plant is dormant. Either 1 year old corms or portions of 3 year old corms are used[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].