Giant arum
Amorphophallus aphyllus

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A fleshy herb. The leaves rise from the tuber. The tuber is about 5 cm across. The bract around the flower is dark purple-red and 30 cm high The leaves are produced after flowering. The berries are yellow.

There are about 150 Amorphophallus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in woodland and savannah woodland.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The tubers are dried then boiled to remove the bitter element, then eaten. They are also boiled for a long time and the cooking water changed 3 times. This normally removes oxalates.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Tubers, corm, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Baga, Bombole

Synonyms

Amorphophallus leonensis Lem.; Arum aphyllum Hook.; and several others