The alien 'flower' of Dracontium prancei

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Some plants have blooms that just revolts at people's usual expectations of what a flower is supposed to look like. Shown here is an inflorescence of Dracontium prancei, a Brazilian species of odd aroids superficially resembling Amorphophallus but not related to them. The flowers are tiny and situated inside; what you see mostly is a spathe. Like Amorphophallus, these plants bloom mostly on leafless tubers and there are at least three tubers in this pot, along with small offsets, which are visible behind the inflorescence.

My plants bloom reliably every year and thrive on benign neglect. At the onset of the rainy season the tubers throw up leafy shoots that reach up to seven feet tall on average and may flop due to their weight.


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