Araceae

Dracontium L.

Kingdom: Plantae Rank: Genus Parent: Araceae Status: Valid

Vegetative Morphology

Habit: Terrestrial herbs to 1 m tall.

Leaves: Leaf deeply lobed, annual, losing the leaf after fruiting. Petiole very large, emerging from the soil, brown with variegation, seeming like the skin of a snake. Veins anastomosing.

Reproductive Morphology

Inflorescence: Many species have inflorescences with fetid odor during anthesis.

Flowers: Spathe brown covering the spadix.

Infructescence: Infructescence green, emerging from the soil. Infructescence seemingly syncarpous, forming a compact structure, each fruit conical, mesocarp transparent white, sticky.

Seeds: Seeds 1-2 per fruit.

Other

Distribution: Brazil and Peru.