Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

Central and South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Bulbs

Defense

Toxins

Status

Uncommon

About

This tropical plant grows large arrow-shaped leaves in humid forest clearings. It stores energy in a thick underground corm that can reach ten pounds in weight.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Alismatales

Family

Araceae

Genus

Xanthosoma

Species

Xanthosoma sagittifolium