Sauromatum venosum

(Aiton) Kunth

Voodoo lily

AraceaeLeavesRootsShootsPotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Sauromatum venosum
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Shiwalee Samant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shiwalee Samant
Sauromatum venosum
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Ramnarayan K, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Sauromatum venosum
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Ramnarayan K, some rights reserved (CC BY)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Tubers, Root, Leaves, Stem

The tuber is traditionally processed through boiling, cutting, and leaching in running water before cooking and eating whole or as flour. The leaves and stems are also used as vegetables, cooked for consumption. It serves as a famine food.

Known Hazards

The tuber is toxic and must be carefully processed through boiling, leaching in running water, and cooking before consumption.

Where to Find It

A subtropical plant. It grows in primary evergreen forests, meadows by river, secondary thickets, pathsides between 1350-2030 m in southern China. In Yunnan.

Africa, Asia, Australia, China, Bhutan, East Africa, Ethiopia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sikkim, Slovenia, Tibet,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A herb which forms tubers. The corm can be 13 cm across. The leaf stalk is mottled black. It forms leaves after flowering. The leaf occurs singly and has 7-15 variable lobes. The interior of the spathe is speckled. The flower stalk or spadix is finger-like. The fruit are red berries. The seeds are oval and 1.8 mm across. The flower has a bad smell. The leaves appear after flowering.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Sauromatum venosum is a species of plant in the arum family (Araceae). It is native to Asia and Africa, where it grows in forests and riparian meadows. It is grown as an ornamental plant. Its common names include voodoo lily and monarch of the East.

Other Information

It is a famine food.

Notes

There are 2-6 Sauromatum species.

Names & Synonyms

Bhasma-kand, Bukki-bu're, Dhey, Diva kand, Diva, Kidachali, Lapra, Loth, Ninkerowly, Nurki, Pindi, Wenut

Arum venosum Aiton, HortArum guttatum WallichArum pedatum Willd.Sauromatum guttatum (Wallich) SchottSauromatum pedatum Schott.Arum sessiliflorum Roxburgh
References (15)
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