These are one of my favourite Aroids , they are the Neotropical Amorphophallus substitute. Not that many 25 or so species , with a very recent discovery published in the last Aroideana [ Journal of the International Aroid Soc. ] I grow nearly a quarter of them , some are enormous like D.gigas from Nicaragua . It can get a stem over 4m high with a large 1m flower on a stumpy stem. Most impressive is D.pittieri , its evil smelling infloresence is over 50 cms on a stem over 2m tall . Pictured here D.pittieri on the left in flower , next to it a clump of D.gigas .
I was just talking to botanist about this plant while looking in the new APG II charts. This is the chart that is reordering all plants into new groups and familys using DNA. They have dracontium as the link from Duck weed to aroids. I am sure their were more that are probably missing or extinct but I found it amazing that they had the dracontium as the closest link I would have never imagined that. They have dracontiums as not being releated to Amorphophallus as much as it is Lasia Cytrosperma and other aquatics. Here is the link very interesting though Aroids did not get changed around to much other families were turned upside down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araceae
