Editing Amorphophallus (section)

== Description ==
{{more footnotes needed|section|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Philippines) 5.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Amorphophallus paeoniifolius]]'', the elephant foot yam, a species cultivated in the tropical [[Indo-Pacific]] for their edible [[tuber]]s]]
[[Image:Amorphophallus_sp._fruit.jpg|thumb|150px|''Amorphophallus'' fruit]]
These small to massive plants grow from a [[wiktionary:subterranean|subterranean]] [[tuber]]. ''Amorphophallus'' tubers vary greatly from species to species, from the quite uniformly [[globose]] tuber of ''[[konjac|A. konjac]]'' to the elongated tubers of ''[[Amorphophallus longituberosus|A. longituberosus]]'' and ''[[Amorphophallus macrorhizus|A. macrorhizus]]'' to the bizarre clustered rootstock of ''[[Amorphophallus coaetanus|A. coaetaneus]]''. It can grow up to 6 feet in height and the weight of these tubers range from as little as ten grams (3/10ths of an ounce) in ''[[Amorphophallus pusillus]]'' of Vietnam<ref>{{cite book | last= Bown | first= Deni | date= 2000 |  title= Aroids - Plants of the Arum Family |  location= Portland | publisher= Timber Press | page= 236 }}</ref> to as much as 305 pounds (139&nbsp;kg) for ''[[Amorphophallus titanum]]'', a 14,000 fold difference in weight. From the top of this tuber a single [[leaf]], which can be several meters across in larger species, is produced atop a trunk-like [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]] followed, on maturity, by a single [[inflorescence]]. This leaf consists of a vertical leaf stalk and a horizontal blade, which may consist of a number of small leaflets. The leaf lasts one growing season. The [[Peduncle (botany)|peduncle]] (the primary flower stalk) can be long or short.

As is typical of the [[Arum]] family, these species develop an inflorescence consisting of an elongate or ovate spathe (a sheathing bract) which usually envelops the [[spadix (botany)|spadix]] (a flower spike with a fleshy axis). The spathe can have different colors, but mostly brownish-purple or whitish-green. On the inside, they contain ridges or warts, functioning as insect traps.

The plants are [[monoecious]]. The spadix has tiny flowers: female flowers, no more than a [[pistil]],  at the bottom, then male flowers, each with one [[stamen]], and then a blank sterile area. This last part, called 'the appendix', consists of sterile flowers, called [[staminodes]], and can be especially large. The flowers do not have [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]]s.

Mature female flowers are usually receptive for only one day.  In many species, the inflorescence emits a scent of decaying flesh in order to  attract insects, though a number of species give off a pleasant odor. Through a number of ingenious insect [[Pollination trap|traps]], pollinating insects that entered a spathe when female flowers were receptive remain inside the spathe for about one day while male flowers mature and release pollen. Pollen falls on these insects, and they carry pollen as they exit the spathe and can pollinate female flowers in another spathe. ''Amorphophallus'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] ([[butterfly]] and [[moth]]) species including ''[[Palpifer|Palpifer sexnotatus]]'' and ''[[Palpifer|Palpifer sordida]]''.

Pollinated flowers usually each develop into a globose [[berry (botany)|berry]], a [[fruit]]. The berries are red, orange-red, white, white and yellow, or blue, depending on the species.

=== Notable species ===
The species ''[[Amorphophallus titanum]]'', 'corpse flower' or titan arum, has the world's largest unbranched [[inflorescence]], with a height of up to {{convert|2.5|m|ft}} and a width of {{convert|1.5|m|ft}}.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} After an over {{convert|1.2|m|ft}}-tall flower opened at [[Chicago Botanic Gardens]] on September 29, 2015, thousands lined up to see and smell it. The floriculturalist described it as smelling "like roadkill, a barnyard, a dirty diaper, very strong, a little bit of mothball smell too". Native to the Indonesian rainforest, it takes about 10 years to blossom. Dubbed "Alice", its bloom was broadcast via live webcam. It is one of two plants at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, which kept open until 2 am on September 30 to accommodate visitors.<ref name=reu>{{cite web|title=Thousands line up to see huge stinky flower|url=https://www.reuters.com/video/2015/09/30/thousands-line-up-to-see-huge-stinky-flo?videoId=365778165&videoChannel=118169|website=Reuters Editors' Picks|publisher=Reuters|access-date=30 September 2015|date=30 September 2015|format=video|quote=Chicago's floral celebrity is over four feet tall, incredibly rare, and smells like death}}</ref>

A runner-up is ''[[Amorphophallus gigas]]'', which is taller, but has a somewhat smaller [[inflorescence]].{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}

''[[Konjac|Amorphophallus konjac]]'' tubers are used to make {{nihongo|[[konjac|konnyaku]]|コンニャク}}, a Japanese thickening agent and edible jelly containing [[glucomannan]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fang |first1=Yimeng |last2=Ma |first2=Jiahui |last3=Lei |first3=Pengyu |last4=Wang |first4=Lei |last5=Qu |first5=Junying |last6=Zhao |first6=Jing |last7=Liu |first7=Fan |last8=Yan |first8=Xiaoqing |last9=Wu |first9=Wei |last10=Jin |first10=Libo |last11=Ji |first11=Hao |last12=Sun |first12=Da |date=2023-01-12 |title=Konjac Glucomannan: An Emerging Specialty Medical Food to Aid in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus |journal=Foods |language=en |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=363 |doi=10.3390/foods12020363 |doi-access=free |issn=2304-8158 |pmc=9858196 |pmid=36673456}}</ref>

Some species are called voodoo-lily, as are some species of ''[[Typhonium]]'' (also in the Araceae).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://wimastergardener.org/article/voodoo-lily-amorphophallus-konjac/|title=Voodoo Lily, ''Amorphophallus konjac''|work=Master Gardener Program|access-date=2018-01-18|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Sauromatum|title=Pacific Bulb Society {{!}} Sauromatum|website=pacificbulbsociety.org|access-date=2018-01-18}}</ref>