See text Amorphophallus (from Ancient Greek amorphos, "without form, misshapen" + phallos, "penis", referring to the shape of the prominent spadix) is a large genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the Arum family (Araceae), native to Asia, Africa, Australia and various oceanic islands.

[3][4] A few species are edible as "famine foods" after careful preparation to remove irritating chemicals.

[7] These are typical lowland plants, growing in the tropical and subtropical zones of the paleotropics, from West Africa through the Pacific Islands.

None of them are found in the Americas, although a remarkably similar but not closely related genus, Dracontium, has evolved there.

As is typical of the Arum family, these species develop an inflorescence consisting of an elongate or ovate spathe (a sheathing bract) which usually envelops the spadix (a flower spike with a fleshy axis).

Through a number of ingenious insect traps, pollinating insects that entered a spathe when female flowers were receptive remain inside the spathe for about one day while male flowers mature and release pollen.

[citation needed] After an over 1.2 metres (3.9 ft)-tall flower opened at Chicago Botanic Gardens on September 29, 2015, thousands lined up to see and smell it.

[citation needed] Amorphophallus konjac tubers are used to make konnyaku (コンニャク), a Japanese thickening agent and edible jelly containing glucomannan.