Elling konjac
Amorphophallus muelleri

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A taro family plant that forms a large tuber (corm). The tuber is 20-28 cm across. It is dark brown and smooth. This herb produces a large single leaf each year. The leaf stalk is 140 cm tall. It is smooth and pale green to brown with whitish spots or patches. The leaves are pale green and slightly shiny with pale red edges. Bulbils develop in the axils of the leaflets. The flowers are along a fleshy axis 8-30 cm long. They are brownish purple or greyish green fruit. The fruit are bright red.

There are about 170-200 Amorphophallus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in shady areas between 200-1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The corm is used for starch. The young stems are cooked as a vegetable. Caution: Many taro family plants contain oxalates.

Edible parts

Tubers, corm, root, stem

How it is grown

It can be grown by small tubers or bulbils. Tubers are dormant and this must be broken before plants grow. It can be grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Acung, Badur, Iles-iles, Kerubut, Porang, Wa-u

Synonyms

Amorphophallus blumei (Schott) Engl. [Illegitimate]; Amorphophallus burmanicus Hook.f.; Amorphophallus carnosus Engl.; Amorphophallus erubescens Hett.; Amorphophallus oncophyllus Prain ex Hook.f.; Amorphophallus planus Teijsm. & Binn.; Amorphophallus timorensis Alderw.; Arum muelleri Zipp. ex Blume; Brachyspatha muelleri (Blume) Schott; Conophallus blumei Schott [Illegitimate]; Conophallus muelleri (Blume) Miq.; Conophallus planus (Teijsm. & Binn.) Miq.;