Amorphophallus paeoniifolius - Elephant Foot Yam

Binomial Name : Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson
Synonym : Amorphophallus campanulatus,Kunda verrucosa,Arum campanulatum
Family : Araceae
Common Name : Elephant Foot Yam
Tamil Name : Boomi sallaraikilangu, camattilai
Hindi Name : Gandira, jangli suran

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Description

Annual soft tuberous herb. Leaves decompound, radical, only one or two, thrice-bifid; divisions outwardly pinnatisect; segments obliquely oblong, pointed, smooth, size very unequal; always longer than the interior. The whole leaf is about one to three feet long. Petioles long, round, tapering, with darker green coloured, pretty smooth, clouded as long as leaf. Flowers monoecious, sessile in spadix, attached to the ground and appear when the plant is destitute of leaves. Spathe very large, leathery, campanulate, border curled; the out side near the base pale green, middle part deepr green, margin greenish purple, bottom deep dotted purple.

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Medicinal uses

The whole plant or palnt parts are eaten cooked as vegetable. It is considered medicinal in various disease like anaemia, constipation etc.
The sap from the petiole is fermented and drunk as a treatment for diarrhoea and dysentery
The corm is prescribed for bronchitis, asthma, abdominal pain, emesis, dysentery, enlargement of spleen, piles, elephantiasis, diseases due to vitiated blood, and rheumatic swellings.