Showing posts with label Amorphophallus Bulbifer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amorphophallus Bulbifer. Show all posts

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Amorphophallus Bulbifer

Amorphophallus bulbifer is ripening a lot of fruit these years, at the UConn EEB greenhouses. Despite of appearances, and the fact that birds or some other animal disperser perhaps eats them, it’d probably be a bad idea for a person to sample these berries. Amorphophallus is an aroid (family Araceae), a group famous for being toxic to humans. In several aroids, all parts of the plant comprises microscopic calcium oxalate crystals, which annoy the lining of the mouth and throat, causing penetrating pain and swelling that can be life-threatening if the airway becomes constricted. In certain aroids and for few people, the crystals can even root pain and rashes on the skin of hands exposed to sap from cut plant parts.