Distribution and Habitat:   tropical plant

Botany: A robust herb with caudex attaining 0.9-1.8 m and 10-20 cm diameter. 

• Leaves: 60-90 cm long, bright green, triangular-sagittate, slightly repand with strongly marked whitish midrib and 6-8 secondary nerves; basal lobes ovate with rather a narrow sinus between and sometimes shortly confluent, their primary nerves forming an acute or nearly a right angle with each other. Petiole as long as or longer than the leaves, round and tapering upwards, sometimes transversely clouded. Spathes with slight, rather offensive smell, 20-30 cm long, of a pale greenish yellow inside and out, tube oblong ovoid 3.8-5.0 cm long.
• Inflorescence: Female inflorescence is yellow, ovoid, 2.5 cm long. Fertile male inflorescence is white and 3.8-5.0 cm long.
• Fruit: Red berry , 7.5-10 mm diameter.

Chemical constituents: Campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol in rhizomes

Uses:  Inflammations, leprosy, anasarca, disease of abdomen and spleen. Root stock yields a pure white starch. It is used for rheumatoid arthritis. Leaves an roots are reported to be  effective in treating snake bites. 

Propagation: tuber