Tacca chantrieri

Tacca chantrieri is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae.[2] It is commonly called the black bat flower.

Black bat flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Dioscoreales
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Genus: Tacca
Species:
T. chantrieri
Binomial name
Tacca chantrieri
André, 1901
Synonyms[1]

Schizocapsa breviscapa (Ostenf.) H.Limpr.
Tacca esquirolii (H.Lév.) Rehder
Tacca garrettii Craib
Tacca macrantha H.Limpr.
Tacca minor Ridl.
Tacca paxiana H.Limpr.
Tacca roxburghii H.Limpr.
Tacca vespertilio Ridl.
Tacca wilsonii H.Limpr.
Clerodendrum esquirolii H.Lév.

Description

Tacca chantrieri is an unusual plant in that it has black flowers. These flowers are somewhat bat-shaped, are up to 12 inches across, and have long 'whiskers' that can grow up to 28 inches. There are ten species in the genus Tacca.[3] One of these, T. integrifolia, is commonly called the "white bat plant." T. integrifolia is similar to T. chantrieri, but has white bracts which are veined purple. T. integrifolia is larger than T. chantrieri, reaching up to four feet in height (almost twice the size of T. chantrieri at a height of 24"-36").[4]

Geographical range

Tacca chantrierei is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, and southern China: particularly Yunnan Province.[5] They are understory plants, so they prefer shade (at least 60%). They grow best in well-drained soil with good air circulation, but they prefer high humidity, and need a lot of water. They are hardy to USDA zones 11, above 4.5 °C (40 °F).

References
  1. "Tacca chantrieri André". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  2. "Tacca chantrieri André". World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. n.d. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  3. http://www.amjbot.org/content/92/3/517.full
  4. http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/new_plants/tacca.htm
  5. http://www.amjbot.org/content/92/3/517.full
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