Gonatopus boivinii

It is an interesting and fun to grow aroid, suitable for indoor culture and not fussy about conditions. Large amorphophallus-like flowers on tall stalks emerge from winter dormant tubers. A single leaf arises from a flat tuber that will reach 6 inches across; the leaf often reaches 3 feet in height and is marbled with blackish-brown markings. The leaf stalk is swollen about halfway up giving it the appearance of a giraffe's knee.

Blooming Time: Late Spring. The plant needs filtered sunlight to light shade and warm temperatures. During the growing season the plant should be kept moist at all times. When the leaf dies back in fall the tubers are stored in peat moss or vermiculite.

Sauromatum venosum, Typhonium venosum, Arum venosum

Rare variety of Amorphophallus ralative. Typhonium venosum, probably better known under its synonym Sauromatum venosum, is a common shade-loving house or garden plant from temperate and tropical Africa and Asia. Tuberous perennial with solitary, segmented round leaf and strange, arum-like flower. It grows to around 20 inches tall from an underground corm. A large T. venosum corm can spawn multiple new corms. Inflorescences emerge before their leaves. This plant is also known as the Voodoo Bulb because of its ability to flower from a corm without soil and water. An inflorescence has a purplish-brown-spotted, yellowish spathe and a purplish-brown spadix which emit a strong odor perceived as similar to cow manure, rotting flesh, or a dirty wet dog, depending on who smells the inflorescence. The odor lasts about 2 days, and attracts carrion-feeding insects which can pollinate this plant.

Typhonium roxburghii

Rare species of Amorphophallus ralative, Typhonium roxburghii bears quite large, spectacular deep mahogany-purple, almost black, spathes at ground level. For a flower of sombre shades, they are very conspicuous and attractive.

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