Amorphophallus bulbifer

(Roxb.) Blume 1835

This species from India produces bulbils on the top of the petioles, where the leaflets depart.

An inflorescence; photo © Caw Ming.

2006

I got one tuber in 2005. It was 3 cm in diameter. Photo from 2005 as I got it.	In the beginning of April 2006, it moved after the dormancy.
It was planted in my garden in direct Sunlight and the leaf margins started to wither.
The petiole pattern. It grew very small and it was about 18 cm in diameter.
In the middle of August 2006 it put up a second leaf.	The pink leaf margin.

2007

An unfolding leaf has involute both margins.
That year it stayed at home and it grew in a more shady place.
In October it produced a bulbil on the leaf (but I lost it).

2009

In 2008 the tuber didn't produce any leaf. It was 35 mm.	After a year it's diameter reduced to 30 mm.
It put a leaf in the beginning of July 2009, it was 28 cm tall and 23 cm wide, on a petiole 24 cm tall.
The season didn't end on this, in September the second leaf appeared.
This leaf was 48 cm tall, the span was 36 cm, the petiole 38 cm.
The first leaf withered in October and the second one began to form a bulbil.
Comparison of the petioles width.	The venation of the leaf.
The bulbil was 16 mm in diameter.

2010

A new leaf started to unfold at the end of May 2010.
The leaf span was 38 cm on a petiole 34 cm.
The cataphyll.	The leaf from the last year bulbil come out a little later.
It was 14 cm tall and 10 cm wide.
The plant also produced a bulbil on the rachis, but it didn't mature.	The tuber was 58 mm in diameter, 36 mm tall and it weighed 68g. The bulbil grew to 25 mm and became a new tuber.

2011

The bulbil waking up.	That year I risked again to plant it in the garden but this time in deep shadow.
The leaf was pale green on a short, poorly patterned petiole.
The leaf was much smaller than growing at home, span 26 cm, on a 12 cm tall petiole. That summer was very cold and rainy. Afraid of the tuber not to rot, In September I took the plant home.
The leaf had no pink margin.
The bulbil reached 19 mm of diameter.	The tuber was 55x55 mm and it weighed 88g (too much water).

2012

That year the leaf was much larger than in 2010, height 47 cm, span 55 cm, petiole 41 cm (2010 - span 38 cm, petiole 34 cm). However I still think it grows much too slower than it should.
Growing at home the petiole pattern is very distinct.	The tuber was 62 mm of diameter and it weighed 75g.

The IAS: Amorphophallus bulbifer Krzysztof Kozminski: Amorphophallus bulbifer Tropicos: Amorphophallus bulbifer CATE Araceae: Amorphophallus bulbifer
Alan Galloway: Amorphophallus bulbifer

page created on: 2005-05-14
last updated on: 2012-11-20