Amorphophallus

Description of the plant

The plant is rather difficult to call indoor, since it is not easy to grow it in the house due to the terrible smell of decaying flesh. This is not at all a special kind of lily, but a hybrid form of a flower belonging to the numerous aroid family, known for its variety of subspecies. Amorphophallus has a strange name because of the shape of the flower ear, although the name means "shapeless offspring" in translation. Unlike other plants, it does not always have a dormant period.

Another name for the flower is known - "snake tree". This is due to the similarity of the trunk to snakeskin. The flower, in fact, is not a flower at all, but a single petal of a complex shape, which, like the trunk, is covered with specks. It surrounds an arrow-shaped ear, the shape of which differs depending on the type of plant.

A flower tuber growing in the ground weighs about 5 kg. Amorphophallus has a large and powerful stem, reminiscent of the trunk of a palm tree, which grows from a tuber. Another distinctive feature of the plant is a single half-meter leaf plate. Its color is green-brown with whitish dots. A hollow petiole is located in the center.

Flowering begins before the leaf appears and lasts no more than a half moon. It ends before the formation of new roots and leaves begins. It is noteworthy that during the flowering period, the tuber decreases in size, giving off the necessary nutrients.

The formation of seeds, which appear extremely rarely, is also unusual. If the flower is pollinated, the mother plant dies. However, this is not associated with a cadaverous smell, because it was conceived by nature not to scare away, but to attract pollinating insects. The stench lasts no more than two days, but pollination may not occur, and therefore the main method of reproduction is tuberous.

Varieties

Several types are suitable for home growing:

• Amorphophallus konjac. In Asian countries, amorphophallus cognac is not a flower for decorative purposes. There, the bulbous tubers of the peony-leaved amorphophallus are used in cooking. They are ground into flour, from which side dishes, sauces, and seasonings are made. A dietary product (the taste resembles a potato) helps a person suffering from high blood sugar, cleanses the body of toxins, and fights obesity.
• Amorphophallus titanic or titanium. The greenhouse plant is obtained by selection. It looks like a huge inverted bell up to 3.5 m in diameter and up to 2 m high. A giant is grown from a tuber weighing 20-25 kg.
• Bulbous variety. This amorphophallus is more like a houseplant than other species. It is low - up to half a meter, flower size - up to 30 cm, the ear is evenly colored pink.

Important! The famous titanium variety is not suitable for home cultivation - it needs a special greenhouse with high air humidity

Cognac variety

Description

You can meet the amorphophallus flower in the countries:

• Madagascar;
• Sumatra;
• Fiji
• Taiwan;
• Australia;
• Java;
• Philippines;
• India;
• Guinea;
• Moluccas;
• China;
• Los;
• Malaysia;
• Bangladesh;
• Java.

Amorphophallus includes many species. They all grow mainly in forests where there is calcareous soil or various litter.

Depending on the type, they can be high or low. They sprout to the surface from amorphophallus tubers that are under the ground. Some have a period of calm, while others do not have this time, their leaves are green all year round.

In the genus amorphophallus, there are more than a hundred species. Palm gets its name from the word shapeless. This is what the inflorescence of the plant looks like.

A leaf is located on top of the culture, which can reach a size of several meters. It can hold out in its original form for one season. The older the plant, the higher the leaf becomes. Over time, it dissects.

The flower of the amorphophallus palm begins to appear after the onset of a calm state. The inflorescence grows singularly on one crop.

It occurs before the appearance of the leaf. The palm tree blooms for two weeks. Tuber size becomes smaller. He spends all the nutrients for the development of the flower.

Females develop flowers earlier than males. Because of these features, the plant practically does not have self-pollination. The process requires the flowering of two individuals at once.

The maximum allowable difference between inflorescences is one or two days. When pollination occurs, a berry appears instead of an inflorescence. It contains seeds.

In this case, the main culture dies. Indoor amorphophallus cannot form seeds.

After the palm tree fades, a large leaf appears. It is dissected and stands on a petiole that looks like the trunk of a large palm tree.

Growing homemade amorphophallus is not difficult. Florists often begin to think that if the leaf turns yellow or dries up, then the palm tree is dead and can be thrown away.

This state of calm in culture manifests itself in this way. It can last up to six months. After that, the flower takes on its usual shape.

For a plant to develop correctly, it needs to create natural conditions. The most important of these is the air temperature. Culture loves warmth.

Therefore, the room should be at least twenty-two and not more than twenty-five degrees.

Types of amorphophallus

Cognac. This is the name of one of the food plant species. It is grown specifically for culinary purposes. The tubers are cleaned and dried.

This type is used in many oriental dishes. In Japan, it is customary to add amorphophallus to various first courses and second courses, which are cooked according to the stewing principle.

Dishes where this plant is present allows you to cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances. In particular, the stomach and intestines are cleansed.

In medicine, amorphophallus cognac began to be used for products intended for people with diabetes.

The peculiarities of the species are that when the soil dries up and there is a lack of light, the leaf changes its shade. The plate shows a dark green color and the edges turn red.

Titanic. This is the tallest of the amorphophallus. A tuber in a diameter can be 50 centimeters. The weight of the plant itself sometimes reaches twenty-three kilograms.

Almost a century ago, a botanist discovered the plant in the tropics. He also began to try to grow culture in the garden. Amorphophallus has reached the height of human growth.

Of course, such a plant caused a stir among the local population. Many argue that such a flower is the largest of all flora on Earth.

They were almost two meters high. There were about five thousand flowers on the trunk. During its flowering period, titanic amorphophallus tends to heat up.

The barrel temperature reaches forty degrees. This gave off an unpleasant aroma from the culture. It smelled like rotten meat.

From insects, the plant attracts flies. They arrive only during the flowering period and pollinate some individuals.

For its aroma and appearance, the flower received additional names:

• Lily Voodoo;
• Snake palm;
• Corpse flower.
• Praina. You can meet in Malaysia.
• White. Distributed in the forests of China.
• Abessinian.
• Leafless. Grown in Africa.

Transfer

The transplant is carried out in early spring, with the appearance of sprouts on the tubers. For transplanting, a mixture suitable for aroid plants is used.

It should contain humus, leafy soil, peat in equal parts, as well as ½ part of sand, preferably coarse.

A new pot must be selected with such a diameter that it is 3 times the diameter of the tuber.

A large amount of drainage is poured at the bottom, which should make up a third of the pot. The soil is poured on top to about half the pot, sand is added, a tuber sprinkled with soil is lowered into the sand.

Until the inflorescences appear, the transplanted amorphophallus should be watered moderately in order to prevent root decay. With the appearance of inflorescences, the frequency of watering is increased. From above you need to periodically add soil.

Humidity and watering

One of the preferences of this unusual plant is high air humidity. It is good if it can be maintained within 70%. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. If the rates decrease, the plant must be sprayed frequently and abundantly.

5. Cutting sheet of amorphophallus needs high air humidity. Therefore, it is often sprayed.

For spraying, it is best to use a fine spray gun. What device creates the fog effect. In this case, water droplets do not linger on the plates, and a moist cloud forms around the plant.

For root irrigation and surface spraying, rainwater is best suited. Provided that it is collected in an ecologically clean region and does not contain harmful impurities.

Not always and not everyone has the opportunity to stock up on "life-giving moisture". Most growers have to use tap water. In most cases, it needs to be prepared for watering indoor plants.

There are several ways to get rid of salts that make water hard:

• Defending,
• Filtration,
• Freezing
• Adding acids.

More details on how best to do this:

In addition to the sensitive attitude to water hardness, amorphophallus has another feature. When watering, moisture should not get on the rhizome. To prevent this from happening, it is better to use a watering can with a narrow spout, and direct the stream along the inner walls of the pot, that is, in the opposite direction from the root.

Summer watering is carried out quite often. It is better to keep the soil in the pot in a uniform moisture, avoiding drought and flooding. The next irrigation is carried out when the topsoil in the flower pot dries up. Water is poured until it comes out in the pan. Excess moisture is not removed immediately, but after 30-60 minutes. During this time, the substrate will be moistened evenly, even if initially the water is glass along the inner walls of the pot.

In the fall, as soon as the plant goes into a dormant state, the irrigation is reduced.

Views from photo

At the moment, there are more than 100 different subspecies. Consider the most common types of Amorphophallus flower, photos of these varieties.

Cognac (A. konjac C. Koch)

It has a flattened planting tuber reaching 7-25 cm. It has only one large leaf, reaching 20 cm. The leaf fibers are very large. They have three separate segments. In the first order in length, they reach 50 cm. They have a divided forked surface.

Subsequent segments are oblong, elliptical. They have rounded edges. They reach 2-8 cm in length. The segments are pointed at the apex.Leaf veins are emerald, convex. The petiole is elongated, emerald brown. Has white spots. In length reaches 40-80 cm. The peduncle is elongated. It reaches 50-70 cm in length.

The bedspread is elongated, rounded, 20-30 cm long. Inside it has a purple tint. The ear is twice narrower and longer than the coverlet. In length it reaches more than 50 cm. During flowering, it can heat up to 40 ° C. Has a bright bloody or lilac hue. Has a pungent odor. Does not bear fruit. China and the Philippines are considered to be the birthplace of the flower.

For more information about this species, see here

Titanic (A. Titanum)

Herbaceous giant. Found in the tropics of Sumatra. The diameter of the tuber reaches 1.5 m, weight 23 kg. Has a dormant period. In spring, a pedicel appears from the soil, 50-70 cm long.

At the age of 5 years, the plant is capable of blooming. A small red inflorescence forms at the top. The ear has both male and female flowers. The plant has a burgundy-brown cape.

REFERENCE: The length of the ear can reach more than 70 cm.In the wild, it grows up to 4 m.

The plant has a pungent unpleasant odor. It attracts pollinating insects. Flowering lasts 13-15 days. In this case, the ear heats up to a temperature of 40 ° C. During flowering, the tuber is severely depleted. The life span of a flower is about 40 years. The homeland is considered to be the tropical forests of South Africa.

Praina (A. prainii)

It has a compressed tuber, reaching 8-25 cm in diameter. The petiole is 10-210 cm elongated. The leaves are 1.5-10 cm long. The leaf plate is pinnate. The bedspread is elongated, reaching 10-25 cm.

Outside it has an emerald-amber hue. The inside is completely white. The base of the bedspread is brown. An ear of beige tint, reaches 9-35 cm. The plant is common in Malaysia.

Abyssinian (A. Abyssinicus)

Herbaceous tuberous flower. The tuber has rounded convex edges. The diameter reaches 4.5-31 cm. The rhizome is elongated to 30 cm. The leaves are formed after the inflorescence appears. The leaf blade has three sections. The diameter reaches 20-100 cm.

The vein is winged, sharp. The petiole is elongated, 20-95 cm long. It can be emerald or burgundy. It has small purple spots. Leaves are oblong, lanceolate. Single inflorescence. The pedicel is shortened. The coverlet is elongated in length and reaches 14-38 cm. The ear is sessile, 8-30 cm long.

WARNING: The flower smells like rotten fish or excrement.

In good conditions, the plant bears fruit. The berries reach 0.6-0.8 cm in diameter. South Africa is considered to be the homeland.

White (A. albus)

Grows in arid thickets. It has a bulky rounded tuber, reaching 7-10 cm in diameter. The leaf is single. The petiole is long, even, emerald. Has small snow-white blotches.

The leaf plate reaches 80 cm. The inflorescence is single. The pedicel is 1–2 cm in diameter. The ear is sessile, curved. Has a male and female phase.

Leafless (A. Aphyllus)

It has a flat, wide tuber, from which rounded shoots extend. The leaves are formed after the inflorescence. In diameter they reach 30-80 cm. The vein is narrow, winged. Cataphillas in the amount of 3-4 pieces. They have an elongated peduncle. The inflorescence is shortened, single.

The bedspread is separate, it reaches 6-25 cm in length. The ear is 5-23 cm long. The female zone is conical, the flowers are crowded. The ovaries are elongated. The fruit is cylindrical-conical. The plant grows in Sinegal.

Diseases and pests of amorphophallus

Usually, at home, the flower is quite resistant to pests. But nevertheless, it must be carefully examined, since aphids or spider mites can attack young leaves. If the flower is not cured in time, it will prematurely discard the leaves from severe damage. To get rid of the problem, the leaves of the plant must be treated with an insecticide without affecting the tubers. Otherwise, the plant will disappear.

Abundant watering can provoke rotting of the root system.And an insufficient level of humidity or light can lead to drying of the leaves or the formation of bright spots on them. In poor light, the leaf begins to change color to dark green, it becomes more contrasting.

For tropical ornamental specimens, mealybugs and nematode worms are the main pests. Therefore, one should not forget about preventive purposes and be sure to disinfect the soil mixture.

Severely damaged tubers are discarded. All the rest need to be processed, since re-infection of the amorphophallus with soil microorganisms or a bacterial infection is not excluded.

If scars, lesions, warty formations appear on the plant, they must be treated with a broad-spectrum pesticide.

A plant that receives regular and timely care will certainly delight with its extraordinary flowering and spectacular appearance.

Despite its unpleasant smell, the flower is incredibly beautiful, always attracts the attention of tourists and flora lovers.

Summing up, it is worth noting the main conditions for the successful home cultivation of amorphophallus:

Preventive measures for pest control;

Regular feeding during the appearance of leaves and flowers;

Loose fertile soil;

Compliance with humidity and temperature conditions during the period of intensive growth and rest of the plant;

Scattered light organization.

Amorphophallus: what it looks like, which family it belongs to

Giant tropical flower

Among 170 species of tropical and subtropical plants of the Aroid family (Araceae), amorphophallus stands apart - "shapeless phallus" if translated from Greek. It is a tuberous deciduous plant with the smell of rotten eggs and fish, but exudes "amber" only when touched.

Hence the numerous names: cadaveric flower, amorphophallus, snake palm, voodoo lily. One of the nicknames is the language of the devil.

The size of the plant can be from small (placed in a pot on the windowsill) to gigantic, which is used to build special greenhouses. The culture grows from a globular tuber resembling a beet or grapefruit, weighing up to 5 kg. Plants have a long dormant period, only some species are evergreen herbs.

Domestic amorphophallus is a short-lived ephemeroid. Each year, one leaf on a long petiole, dissected like a palm tree, grows from the tuber. It is several meters wide and lasts the entire growing season. In the next season, the leaf plate becomes taller and even more dissected.

Important! The flower has nothing to do with palms, as the common people mistakenly believe. It blooms once a season - it throws out an elongated oval ear, covered with inflorescences, from which round fruits with seeds then ripen

Color - orange-red, white, blue

It blooms once a season - it throws out an elongated oval ear covered with inflorescences, from which round fruits with seeds then ripen. Color - orange-red, white, blue.

Flower in natural environment

Spreading:

• In the wild, the plain culture grows in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, and Australia.
• It can also be found on the islands of Java, the Philippines, Fiji, the Maluku Islands, Borneo.
• The widespread distribution of the world's largest amorphophallus flower is observed in India, China, Japan, Bangladesh. It is also found in the countries of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.

Most species grow on destroyed foundations - secondary forests, limestone rocks, littered places.

Amorphophallus care

Until the beginning of August, during the active growing season, for a rapid increase in tuber mass, it is necessary to apply phosphorus (or complex with a predominance of phosphorus) fertilizers regularly (once every 1.5-2 weeks).

In summer, the plant is watered immediately after the topsoil dries. In this case, it is necessary that the water seeps through the drainage hole and appears in the pan. Pour it out of there not immediately, but after 30-60 minutes, so that the substrate is evenly wet.

At the end of August, the leaf begins to dry and eventually dies off, the plant retires. Watering at this time is minimized. In the fall, the tubers are removed from the pot, cleaned of the substrate, carefully examined, if necessary, rotting areas and dead roots are removed with a sharp knife. Then it is washed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, the "wounds" are sprinkled with charcoal powder and left to dry. Then they are stored at room temperature in a container with dry sand or even an empty cardboard box, which is placed in a dark place.

In late winter or early spring, sprouts appear on the surface of the tuber. This is a signal that it is time to plant amorphophallus in a special "aroid" mixture consisting of leaf earth, humus, peat and coarse sand (1: 1: 1: 0.5). It is good to add about two glasses of dry crushed manure to a bucket of mixture. When choosing a container, it should be borne in mind that its diameter should be 2-3 times the size of the tuber. A crock is placed on the hole in the bottom of the vessel with the convex side upwards, which is then covered with a layer of sand or fine expanded clay.

Drainage should be one third of the height of the pot. Then a layer of soil is added to half the pot, where a depression is made, and it is filled with sand, into which the tuber is immersed by one third. From above, the amorphophallus is covered with earth, leaving the upper part of the sprout above the soil. Water and put in a bright place. Before the appearance of the inflorescence or the deployment of the leaf, the plant is watered moderately, and then abundantly. Due to the fact that daughter tubers and stem roots are formed in the upper part of the mother tuber, it is necessary to periodically add soil to the plant.

High humidity prevents the appearance of spider mites, therefore, on hot summer days, it is useful to spray the leaf in the morning and evening with distilled or soft water, since it does not leave white spots. It is useful to put the pot on a pallet with wet pebbles or expanded clay.

Abyssinian amorphophallus (Amorphophallus abyssinicus)

2.Amorphophallus - home care

2.1 Temperature conditions, wintering

The amorphophallus plant in a pot prefers a moderately warm content, 20 - 24 ° C. In the winter period of rest, the pot with the plant is stored in a cool and dark place at a temperature of 10-13 degrees.

Indoor amorphophallus prefers bright sun, but no direct sunlight.

2.3 Care of amorphophallus

Unpretentious plant to care for. In September - October, the aboveground part dies off. In March, amorphophallus germinates. They expose it to the light and begin to water it. It blooms if the tuber reaches 6 - 8 cm in diameter. The tuber will increase significantly in diameter if the plant is transplanted into a large bowl and regularly fed with organic fertilizers. Sometimes, to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant odor during flowering, the bud is removed from the plant.

2.4 Earth for amorphophallus

Well-drained soils consisting of humus, sand and peat. The soil should have a slightly acidic or neutral pH.

2.5 Top dressing

Begin to feed in the spring after the first growth appears every 2 weeks, amorphophallus will appreciate fertilizers with a high nitrogen and phosphorus content. Also, the plant responds positively to organic feeding.

2.6 Purpose

Amorphophallus in the house is a gorgeous decorative flowering plant - a real gimmick in the home collection.

2.7 Amorphophallus flowering

The house plant blooms for 1 to 2 months in summer, about every 3 years, the amorphophallus flower remains open for about a week. Young plants bloom for the first time at the age of 5 years. Flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant and after it, underground tubers may even decrease in size.

2.9 How to water

Watering is moderate, they are intensified before flowering, since the peduncle grows very quickly in size. In the winter dormant period, keep the bulbs dry, they begin to water the plant only with the appearance of the first sprout.When drought occurs, the plant simply hibernates.

2.10 How to transplant

As the bulb grows and grows in diameter, in the spring, into larger pots. Transplanting large plants can be difficult - in such specimens, they simply change the topsoil to fresh every year. A pot for growing amorphophallus at home should have large drainage holes.

2.11 Reproduction

How does amorphophallus multiply? Propagated by children, which form the tuber of the plant. Children are separated in the fall and kept cool until spring. Seeds are practically not formed at home. Even under optimal conditions, seed propagation takes about six years before the first flowering.

2.12 Pests and diseases

The amorphophallus tuber is prone to rotting if there is an excess of water. The damaged areas are cut with a sharp knife, the cut site is dried and sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

Of the harmful insects, aphids and spider mites are sometimes found.

Insects are pests

• Spider mite

• Aphid

2.13 Note

Flowers with a very strong unpleasant odor, which not all people can tolerate. If droplets of moisture appear on the tips of the leaves of amorphophallus, it means that it will soon rain outside. In some countries, the tubers of the plant are eaten.

Hydroponics.

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Features of different varieties

Inflorescences of certain species of tropical plants grow up to 2.5 m. For example, titanic amorphophallus is known for this. His tuber is also impressive: up to 50 kg. You cannot grow such a "flower" at home. There are other varieties in the genus that are suitable for cultivation at home. But with one condition: at the time of flowering, it is better to take the pot with a houseplant outside the living room.

Common types of amorphophallus:

1. Cognac, or cognac. The height of the purple-burgundy inflorescence is about half a meter. The peduncle is dark olive, spotted.
2. Bulbiferous. The cover leaf, which wraps the inflorescence, combines several shades: green with pink markings, red and green-yellow. An adult specimen does not exceed 0.5 m in height.
3. Rivera. Blooms more often than other varieties. But, like other varieties of amorphophallus, it practically does not bear fruit at home.

Attention! Be prepared for the fact that, due to the long dormant period, the deciduous houseplant is not highly decorative. Most of the time, the flowerpot will be empty.

Rest period of amorphophallus

Several evergreen species (for example A. arnautovii, A. pingbianensis), all Amorphophallus have a dormant period in nature. All species of group I show the strongest tendencies towards dormancy, while groups II may sometimes skip rest. Peace can take place in two parts.When the leaf dies, after the next growing season, the tuber will invariably take a rest period. This period can take from 3 to 7 months, depending on the species, after which the leaf grows back.

When the plant is mature enough to produce a flower, the dormancy period is usually much shorter and can take more than a month or even less at times. During this, after the leaf has fallen asleep, the tubers of the I group species can be stored dry, but not young tubers or thin rhizome displacements. Group II tubers should be left in the soil as they tend to dry out. The second type of hibernation can occur after flowering. This is only true for non-evergreen Asian species, which by their very nature invariably refuse to grow a leaf after flowering and effective pollination. Thus, of these types of fruiting, plants are never found with leaves. In cultivation, similar behavior is observed with most species. But sometimes, when the inflorescences are removed, the plant can develop a leaf. Since this behavior cannot be predicted, the tuber is best left in the soil after the wilted buds have been removed. Watering should be reduced and the pot well watched for growth to resume. If this happens, the plant should be watered normally; if not, it should be left until next season. African species all grow a leaf in the same season as flowering, with or without pollination and fruit setting. Most grow a leaf right next to the stalk, others take a short rest period

This leads to an important warning: when an old African inflorescence is cut, make sure not to cut out new leaf growth, which may be very close to the stem! Remove Cataphyllas first to find a new bud before cutting the stalk

African savanna species present a particular problem (eg A. aphyllus, A. dracontioides) because they seem to need special treatment during dormancy. Until now, none of these species have been brought to flower, even if the plants have reached full size. They may need extra warmth while resting, mimicking the harsh conditions of the savannah during a dry season.