金慈姑 jin ci gu

Underground part a short, tuberous rhizome, subglobose or globose. Petiole 10-35 cm; leaf blade yellowish green abaxially, dark green adaxially, reniform-hastate, triangular in outline, shallowly or deeply 3-lobed; terminal lobe ovate, (5-)9-17 × 4-14 cm, acuminate; lateral lobes spreading, obliquely ovate or narrowly ovate. Inflorescence appearing after leaves; peduncle creamy red with dark purple dots, 2-9 cm. Spathe outside whitish or pale green with purple striae, inside purple, base ovoid, 2-3.5 × ca. 1.5 cm; limb outside purplish mixed with dirty green flush or striae, or purple all over, inside deep rich purple, ovate-lanceolate, abruptly tapering from below middle, usually twisted at tip, 13-15 × ca. 5 cm. Spadix subequaling spathe; female zone 4-5.5 mm; ovary white or yellowish, ovoid; stigma purple, 1-loculed, 1-ovuled; sterile zone 1.5-2.2 cm, proximal 5-7 mm densely covered with staminodes, rest naked; staminodes downcurved, yellow or pale yellow, subcylindric, 8-9 mm, acute; male zone 7-12 mm; male flowers consisting of 2 or 3 stamens, yellow; anthers sessile, opening with apical pore; appendix dark purple, narrowly conic, 12-15 cm, 3-4 mm in diam. at base, base truncate with a pale red stipe ca. 2 mm. Berries pale green at first, white when mature, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1-seeded. Fl. and fr. May-Aug.

Taiwan, Yunnan [Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan (Bonin Islands), Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand; introduced in E Africa, W Australia, and South America].