Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicols.

Geographic distribution: Madagascar to Polynesia

These particular specimens have exhibited really impressive survival ability. They arrived dehydrated and hopelessly shriveled, having spent something like 6 weeks in the mail. After a week of being suspended above surface of water in a jar to rehydrate them in 100% humidity, they got potted, and about 4 months later, the big one decided to wake up. Its smaller siblings followed about a month later.
A. paeonifolius is a quite vigorous species. Three months after sprouting, each tuber has started growing a second petiole, quite thicker than the first one.

The leaf of A. paeonifolius is quite similar to some forms of A.prainii.

Spider mites and aphids seem to leave this species alone.

	General growth habit of the big guy and its two smaller brothers. The big one is not really as yellow as it seems. They are growing in an 8-inch pot.
	Leaves on the small guys.
	The apparently yellow-variegated leaf on the big guy. It could be some nutrient deficiency, but then, the small ones are quite happily green. Below on left, there is a stem of one of the small guys, and, on the right, the stem of the big guy, gnarly and stubby
	In 1997, the largest of the three is about 3 feet tall; it has at least doubled in size.

All photos Copyright © 1996-1997 Krzysztof Kozminski

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