This plant showed up on our plantation in Fiji recently. We have never had them before (generations of people have been on this plantation) and have never seen it in Fiji before. Would anyone be able to help us identify it. Lorry
Great photos. Thanks for posting that. I can't imagine what it would be like to find something on your property that huge that you'd never seen before. The leaves look like they'll be amazing too - all the stuff on one stem from the ground will be part of a single leaf.
I have now found out that it is in fact an Elephant Yam (the fancy long name below is also correct but far to hard to remember!). Unbeknown to us we had seen the fully grown plant many times around the plantation but (1) didn't know what it was called and that it was a yam and (2) had no idea it started as an alien looking flower. The plant starts as the flower and grows up to about 2ft high. The Yam (root crop) of the plant can grow up to about 10kg in weight and is apparently a cash crop in Indonesian countries. You are correct Wendy, if is formed off one leaf. This is the wonder of nature; we never ever stop learning and nature continues to amaze us with its wonders.
