Tacca leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Katiyo Tea Estates, Lower Pungwe River

Photo: Bart Wursten
Wafa-wafa Hills, near Kariba

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhancuco, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Pungwe River at Katiyo Tea Estate

Grassland; cultivated Lilayi
The tubers are roundish to discoid in shape with no easily discernible growing point
May 2015
Photo: Nick Wightman

Open Woodland
Chisomo Farms
Feb 2007
Photo: Nick Wightman

Photo: Bart Wursten
Path from Nhago Camp to nearby settlement, Coutada 12

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Tacca involucrata Schumach. & Thonn.
Common names:	Arrowroot (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect herb up to 2 m tall, with annual leaves and flowers growing from a fleshy tuber. Leaves usually 1-3; petiole erect up to c. 1.5 m tall; lamina compound, up to c. 90 × 60 cm, broadly 3-lobed, the lobes deeply pinnately and sometimes palmately divided into variable secondary lobes. Inflorescence usually 1, rarely 2 on an erect hollow scape, up to 1.7 m tall. Flowers 10-40 in an umbel, pale green to white, yellowish or brown, usually variably tinged purple. The whole inflorescence subtended by an involucre of 4-8 bract up to c. 4 × 3 cm, green with purple margins and numerous more or less pendent floral bracts, filiform, dark purple, up to 25 cm long. Fruit berry-like, globose to ovoid, 2-3 cm long, pendent, green to orange, dark brown when dry, normally only 2-7 flowers per umbel developing fruit.
Type location:
Notes:	A unique and unmistakable plant
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In a wide range of habitats, on termite mounds and in rocky places, often on sandy soils.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	Dec - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in Subsaharan Africa from Senegal to Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Also in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles and tropical Asia to the Pacific.
Botanical divisions:
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 186 - 187. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 112. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 104. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 179. Troupin, G. (1988). Taccaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume IV Pages 86 - 87. (Includes a picture). Vollesen, K. & Merrett, L. (2019). Field Guide to the (wetter) Zambian Miombo Woodland. Part 1 (Ferns & Monocots) GVPedia Communications Page 123. (Includes a picture). Wilkin, P. (2009). Dioscoreaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(2) Pages 138 - 140. in Dioscoreaceae (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Tacca leontopetaloides:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Tacca leontopetaloides
Flora of Malawi: Tacca leontopetaloides
Flora of Mozambique: Tacca leontopetaloides
Flora of Rwanda: Tacca leontopetaloides
Flora of Zambia: Tacca leontopetaloides
Flora of Zimbabwe: Tacca leontopetaloides

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Tacca leontopetaloides
African Plant Database: Tacca leontopetaloides
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Tacca leontopetaloides
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Tacca leontopetaloides
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Tacca leontopetaloides
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Tacca leontopetaloides
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Tacca leontopetaloides
JSTOR Plant Science: Tacca leontopetaloides
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Tacca leontopetaloides
Plants of the World Online: Tacca leontopetaloides
Tropicos: Tacca leontopetaloides
Wikipedia: Tacca leontopetaloides