Amorphophallus dracontioides | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Alismatales |
Family: | Araceae |
Genus: | Amorphophallus |
Species: | A. dracontioides |
Binomial name | |
Amorphophallus dracontioides | |
Amorphophallus dracontioides or the Dragons Footballis a species of plant in the genus Amorphophallus ranging from Ghana to Nigeria. [1] [2]
This species appears as a large, fleshy stemless plant with a magenta/olive overall coloration. It has small olive speckling and a consistently ridged interior. [1] [2] [3]
This species's root has been used medicinally for hemorrhoids, and breaking down venomous stings/bites. [1]
The plant's sap contains saponins and potential steroids and therefore is mildly toxic. Aboriginal people within the range of this plant use these toxins as arrow poison. The root is believed magic. [1]
This species has been used within Nigeria as a food of famine. Because this species is toxic it must be boiled for two days to neutralize the toxins. [4]
There are countless common names for Amorphophallus dracontioides including:
Dragons Football [5]
The Hyena's Penis Plant [6]
Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca, is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are processed to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. The Brazilian farofa, and the related garri of West Africa, is an edible coarse flour obtained by grating cassava roots, pressing moisture off the obtained grated pulp, and finally drying it.
Amorphophallus is a large genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the Arum family (Araceae), native to Asia, Africa, Australia and various oceanic islands. A few species are edible as "famine foods" after careful preparation to remove irritating chemicals. The genus includes the Titan arum of Indonesia, which has the largest inflorescence of any plant in the genus, and is also known as the 'corpse flower' for the pungent odour it produces during its flowering period, which can take up to seven years of growth before it occurs.
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Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its botanical classification, along with other Phaseolus species, is as a member of the legume family, Fabaceae. Like most members of this family, common beans acquire the nitrogen they require through an association with rhizobia, which are nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Dracaena is a genus of about 200 species of trees and succulent shrubs. The formerly accepted genera Pleomele and Sansevieria are now included in Dracaena. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae. It has also formerly been separated into the family Dracaenaceae or kept in the Agavaceae.
Conium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. As of December 2020, Plants of the World Online accepts six species.
Moringa is the sole genus in the plant family Moringaceae. It contains 13 species, which occur in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia and that range in size from tiny herbs to massive trees. Moringa species grow quickly in many types of environments.
Pistia is a genus of aquatic plants in the arum family, Araceae. It is the sole genus in the tribe Pistieae which reflects its systematic isolation within the family. The single species it comprises, Pistia stratiotes, is often called water cabbage, water lettuce, Nile cabbage, or shellflower. Its native distribution is uncertain but is probably pantropical; it was first scientifically described from plants found on the Nile near Lake Victoria in Africa. It is now present, either naturally or through human introduction, in nearly all tropical and subtropical fresh waterways and is considered an invasive species as well as a mosquito breeding habitat. The specific epithet is derived from a Greek word, στρατιώτης, meaning "soldier", which references the sword-shaped leaves of some plants in the Stratiotes genus.
Adenia is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. The centers of diversity are in Madagascar, eastern and western tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. The genus name Adenia comes from "aden", reported as the Arabic name for the plant by Peter Forsskål, the author of the genus.
"Uzazi" is the Nigerian name for the 'prickly ash' tree of genus Zanthoxylum tessmannii / Fagara tessmannii / Zanthoxylum gilletii, a member of the Rutaceae family, native to Central and West Africa, and a close relative of the Sichuan pepper. It usually refers specifically to the spice made from its fruit and pericarp, though sometimes other parts of it such as its leaves are used.
Amorphophallus preussii is a species of plant in the family Araceae. It is endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitats are lowland tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and subtropical and montane tropical and subtropical coniferous forests. It is a Vulnerable species threatened by habitat loss.
Anchomanes is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. The genus is native to tropical Africa.
Aroideae is a subfamily of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is the largest subfamily in Araceae and consists of about 72 different genera, and 2,300 species. Many Aroideae have spiny pollen grains without a sporopollenin outer exine layer and lacking an aperture.
Poisonous amphibians are amphibians that produce toxins to defend themselves from predators.
Maerua angolensis is a 10m tall, occasionally deciduous tree of the Capparaceae or caper family, often growing on termitaria and in thickets fringing seasonal watercourses, up to 1800m. Though never common, it is widespread in tropical Africa and arid regions, being absent from high-rainfall regions.
Dioscorea dumetorum, also known as the bitter yam, cluster yam, trifoliate yam, or three-leaved yam, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family, Dioscorea. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa and especially common in the tropical regions of West Africa, including Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana. D. dumetorum has both toxic and non-toxic varieties.
Anisopus mannii is a perennial herbaceous shrub in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the family Apocynaceae — commonly referred to as the dogbane family. The flowering species grows in the tropical environments of central Africa, and is renown in traditional Nigerian medicine for treating sexual impotence, the common cold, diarrhea, and most notably, its potent hypoglycemic effect. Recent research has been conducted, looking in to the species' potential anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant bioactivities and mechanisms of action.
Amorphophallus maximus is a species of subtropical tuberous herbaceous plant found in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Pterodiscus is a genus of plant in the Pedaliaceae family comprising several species with a native range from Ethiopia to S. Africa. The range passes through the countries of Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Plus it is found also within the Provinces of South Africa in Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces.
Croton macrostachyus is a species of flowering plant native to the mountains of Sub-Saharan Africa.