Amorphophallus aphyllus
(Hook.) Hutch.
Giant arum
(c) Jakob Fahr, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jakob Fahr
(c) Luke Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Tubers, Corm, Root
The tubers are dried then boiled to remove bitter elements before eating. They are also boiled for extended periods with the cooking water changed three times to remove oxalates.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in woodland and savannah woodland.
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 to Identify
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.
Nutrition Score: 33/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corm | 71.2 | 451 | 108 | 2.4 | — | — | — | — |
Other Information
It is a famine food.
Notes
There are about 150 Amorphophallus species.
Names & Synonyms
Baga, Bombole
References (13)
- Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 31
- Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 24
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.
- Busson, 1965,
- Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
- Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 24
- IRVINE, 1952,
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 11
- Kew Plants of the World Online
- Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 8
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 11
- Roger, D. D., et al, 2012, Nutritional properties of “Bush Meals” from North Cameroon’s Biodiversity. Advances in Applied Science Research, 2012, 3 (3):1482-1493
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
