Typhonodorum lindleyanum

Schott

Giant aroid

Araceae Edible: Tubers, Root, Fruit - Seeds, Rhizome, Vegetable Potential hazards — see below 362 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A taro family plant with a thick trunk and broad leaves. It is a large herb that keeps growing from year to year. It has a false stem like a banana. This can be 4 m tall and 30 cm across at the base. There is an underground rhizome. The leaf stalks and sheth are 3 m long. The leaf blade is 140 cm long and 85 cm wide. It is shaped like an arrow head. The flowers are a column shaped spadix 55 cm long. It is yellow to white and has a large leaf like spathe that is 80 cm long around it. The fruit are large and oval. They contain round berries 4 cm across. These are yellow when ripe. There are 1-2 flattened brown seeds inside.

Edible Uses

The large rhizome is roasted and eaten after being chopped and boiled, then washed several times to remove oxalates, or alternatively soaked in water for 2 days and sun-dried. The fleshy seeds are roasted and eaten.

Traditional Uses

The large rootstock or rhizome is processed, roasted and eaten. They are chopped and boiled and washed several times. to remove the oxalates. Alternatively they are chopped and soaked in water for 2 days then dried in the sun. The fleshy seeds are roasted and eaten. Caution: Plants in this family usually have oxalate crystals and need special processing.

Medicinal Uses

It is used as a famine food.

Known Hazards

Plants in the arum family contain oxalate crystals that require special processing to remove; oxalates can irritate the throat.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in shallow water. It needs a temperature above 20°C. It is often in swamps near the sea. Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens.

Where It Grows

Africa, Australia, Comoros, East Africa, Madagascar, Tanzania,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from fresh seed sown into mud. It can also be grown using suckers.

Propagation

Seed - Suckers.

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the leaf sheaths. It is used for making heavy fish lines. It is a very easy matter to gently draw out the threads after abruptly breaking the sheath, provided they are pulled out parallel to the axis. Thus obtained, the threads are at first a deep yellow, becoming much lighter with washing. A variety of the plant which has reddish and blackish sheaths gives better fibres than the variety which has white sheaths. The leaves are used for thatching. The leaves are used as a mulch.

Production

The rootstocks are harvested during the rainy season. Dried slices and flour can be stored for several months.

Other Information

It is a famine food. The oxalates can irritate the throat.

Notes

There is only one Typhonodorum species.

Also Known As

Mbie, Mgombakofi, Mtongonya, Via

References (14)

Bot. Jahrb. 1:188. 1881 [As madagasariense]
Brown, D., 2000, Aroids. Plants of the Arum family. Timber Press. (Second edition) p 272 (As Typhonodorum madagarascariense)
Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 565
Herb., E. A., 1981,
http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/Aroideth.htm

Show all 14 references

Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2. p 20, 21, 49 (Also as Typhonodorum madagarascariense)
Menninger, E.A., 1977, Edible Nuts of the World. Horticultural Books. Florida p 112
Oesterr. Bot. Wochenbl. 7:70. 1857
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 12
Romanowski, N., 2007, Edible Water Gardens. Hyland House. p 116
Ruffo, C. K., Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B., 2002, Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania. RELMA p 684
Styger, E., et al, 1999, Indigenous fruit trees of Madagascar: potential components of agroforestry systems to improve human nutrition and restore biological diversity. Agroforestry Systems 46: 289-310
Walsh, M., 2009, The Use of Wild and Cultivated Plants as famine Foods on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Études océan Indien. 42-43
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew