Awbook | หัวบุก | Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
Family: Araceae - Genus: Amorphophallus
The Elephant Foot Yam can be found at the beginning of the rainy season on several spots on the TCDF and Eco-Logic premises, it springs up by it self.
The Elephant Foot Yam, aka Elephant Yam, Telingo Potato, Sweet Yam, Corpse Flower or Whitespot Giant Arum, is a tropical tuber crop.
Deciduous herbaceous aroid shrub, up to 2.5 meter tall, with no apparent stem above ground. Solitary stem-like leaf stalk is fleshy, green and speckled with attractive paler green spots or blotches. Stalk arises from underground tuber to reach 1.5 - 2.0 meter above ground surface and holds up a single leaf like an umbrella, thus making the plant resemble a miniature tree.
The leaf blade is divided into hundreds of small leaflets, with whole cluster reaching 1.5 -3.0 meter across. Leaflets 3-lobed, each lobe divided into pinnatisect segments. Several leaves may be produced from accessory tubers. Leaves die down after blooming, and regrow from tuber during next season.
The plant blooms annually around the beginning of the rainy season. The flower bud emerges from the corm as a purple shoot, and later blooms as a purple inflorescence. On successful pollination of the female flowers the spadix can extend to 2m tall. The fresh inflorescence emits an odor reminiscent of rotting flesh to attract pollinating carrion flies and beetles.
The tuber of the elephant foot yam is used as food in Asia.
The Elephant Foot Yam plant blooms annually around the beginning of the rainy season.
THE PLANT
The solitary leaf of the Elephant Foot Yam resembles a small tree. The leaf blade is much divided into hundreds of leaflets and can reach over 1m wide. This blade sits atop a thick fleshy stem up to 13 centimeter in diameter and 2 meter tall. The surface of the stem is attractively blotched with paler shades of green.
THE LEAVES
The leaf blade of the Elephant Foot Yam is divided into hundreds of small leaflets, with whole cluster reaching 1.5 -3.0 meter across. Leaflets 3-lobed, each lobe divided into pinnatisect segments. Several leaves may be produced from accessory tubers. Leaves die down after blooming, and regrow from tuber during next season.
THE FLOWERS
The Elephant Foot Yam has male and female flowers that are crowded in cylindrical masses.
The top part is responsible for secreting mucus that gives off a putrid, pungent smell that is used to attract pollinating insects, the middle part of the inflorescence contains staminate, and the base of the inflorescence contains pistillate. The stigmas of the female flowers will be receptive on the first day of the bloom, when the pungent smell draws pollinating insects inside, and the inflorescence closes, trapping them for a night to allow the pollen deposited on the insect to be transferred to the stigmas.
While the flowers are in bloom they also produce heat. They die after five days.
THE BERRIES
In 24–36 hours, after the first bloom of the inflorescence, the inflorescence's female flowers start developing into berries bright red fruiting bodies, and other parts of the inflorescence start wilting away. The berries are red when ripe and are not quite round, being sub-globose or ovoid.
THE TUBER
The tuber of the Elephant Foot Yam is edible.
The pink-brown colored tuber crop has a stony and hard look.
CULINARY USES
The young unopened leaves and young petioles (leaf stalks) are edible cooked, and are often served with fish. It also serves as the base for many curries, chutneys, kebabs, and sweet dishes, or can be fried into chips. In Indonesia, the tubers are the third most important carbohydrate source after rice and maize.
NUTRITION
Elephant Foot Yam's edible tuber root is antibacterial, low on the glycemic index, and high in omega 3 fatty acids. It has vitamin A, C, B6 and the minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and small amounts of zinc, copper and selenium. It is fairly common in the wild.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE OF NEEDLE FLOWER
NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.
The tuber is used to maintain normal bowel movement in case of constipation, cramps, intestinal heat and others. It is said to be very effective in lowering cholesterol levels and aids in weight loss. It also relieves arterial blockage and vein blockage.
Elephant foot yam is said to be good for diabetes patients for its blood sugar reducing action. It is a rich source of trace elements like potassium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, phosphorous and calcium, that help in improving concentration and memory. It is helpful in improving immunity in the body. It is a good anti-inflammatory agent as well as a detoxifier. It essentially improves the condition of enlarged prostate glands.
The traces of essential minerals also help in improving bone health, electrolyte balance, anemia, energy in the body. It helps in subsiding early aging.
INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience
For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!
Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!
INTO THE WILD!
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