- Source: Dracontium
Dracontium is a genus of flowering plants similar to those of Amorphophallus. Unlike Amorphophallus which is found in the Old World, this genus has a New World distribution and is native to South America, Central America, southern Mexico, and the West Indies.
Dracontium species can be distinguished from related genera by their inflorescence, which is smaller and unisexual. The plant has a large caudexlike tuber similar to that of Amorphophallus, but rounder, and with no central and circular scar mark. When Dracontium plants begin to flower, the tuber swells and smoothens.
Species
More than 20 Dracontium species have been described:
Dracontium amazonense G.H.Zhu & Croat - Venezuela, Peru, northwestern Brazil
Dracontium angustispathum G.H.Zhu & Croat - Colombia, Peru
Dracontium asperispathum G.H.Zhu & Croat - Colombia, Peru, Ecuador
Dracontium asperum K. Koch - Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Windward Islands, Venezuela, Peru, northwestern Brazil, the Guianas
Dracontium bogneri G.H.Zhu & Croat - Brazil
Dracontium croatii G.H.Zhu - Carchi and Pichincha Provinces in Ecuador
Dracontium dubium Kunth - Venezuela, Guyana
Dracontium gigas (Seem.) Engl. - Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Dracontium grandispathum G.H.Zhu & Croat - Ecuador
Dracontium grayumianum G.H.Zhu & Croat - Panama, Colombia
Dracontium guianense G.H.Zhu & Croat - French Guiana
Dracontium iquitense E.C.Morgan & J.A.Sperling - Loreto region of eastern Peru
Dracontium longipes Engl. - Peru, Acre State of Brazil
Dracontium margaretae Bogner - Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
Dracontium nivosum (Lem.) G.H.Zhu - Pará, Maranhão
Dracontium peruvianum G.H.Zhu & Croat - Peru, northwestern Brazil
Dracontium pittieri Engl. - Costa Rica
Dracontium plowmanii G.H.Zhu & Croat - Peru
Dracontium polyphyllum L. - Pará, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, Peru, Puerto Rico
Dracontium prancei G.H.Zhu & Croat - Amazonas and Roraima States of northwestern Brazil
Dracontium purdieanum (Schott) Engl. - Colombia, Venezuela
Dracontium soconuscum Matuda - Chiapas, Costa Rica, Panama
Dracontium spruceanum (Schott) G.H.Zhu - Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, northwestern Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname
Dracontium ulei K.Krause - Acre State in western Brazil; Pando region of northern Bolivia