Code
TCCLE
Growth form
Geophyte
Biological cycle
Vivacious
Habitat
Terrestrial
Tacca leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze
synonym | Arisaema gracile Kunth, nom. superfl. |
synonym | Arum gracile Roxb., nom. superfl. |
synonym | Chaitaea tacca Sol. ex Seem. |
synonym | Tacca abyssinica Hochst. ex Baker |
synonym | Tacca artocarpifolia Seem. |
synonym | Tacca brownii Seem. |
synonym | Tacca brownii var. paeoniifolia Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca dubia Schult. & Schult.f. |
synonym | Tacca gaogao Blanco |
synonym | Tacca hawaiiensis H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca involucrata Schumach. & Thonn. |
synonym | Tacca involucrata var. acutifolia (H.Limpr.) H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca maculata Zipp. ex Span., nom. inval. |
synonym | Tacca madagascariensis (H.Limpr.) H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca madagascariensis Bojer |
synonym | Tacca oceanica Seem. |
synonym | Tacca phallifera Schult. & Schult.f. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida f. obtusata Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida subsp. interrupta Warb. ex H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida subsp. involucrata (Schumach. & Thonn.) H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida subsp. madagascariensis H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida var. acutifolia H.Limpr. |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida var. brownii (Seem.) F.M.Bailey |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida var. paeoniifolia Domin |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifida var. permagna Domin |
synonym | Tacca pinnatifolia Gaertn. |
synonym | Tacca quanzensis Welw. |
synonym | Tacca umbrarum Jum. & H.Perrier |
synonym | Tacca viridis Hemsl. |
synonym | Typhonium gracile Schott, nom. superfl. |
Comorian |
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Other |
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Global description
Tacca leontopetaloides is a plant with 1 or 2 large leaves and 1 erect inflorescence, from a globular tubercle. Leaves borne by a very long, upright petiole, erect. The limb is divided into three main segments themselves segmented. The flowers are assembled into a corymbe subtended by 6 leafy bracts and located at the top of a cylindrical axis erect. Between the flowers are numerous filiform bracts up to 10 cm long. The flowers are pedicellate and formed of 6 yellowish tepals. The fruit is a large, fleshy, obovoid berry, containing numerous highly striated obovoid seeds.
First leaves
The seedling is very rarely observable because this plant grows each year from a globular tubercle 3 to 8 cm in diameter.
The first leaf is usually unique. It develops directly from the tuber. The petiole is erect vertically and has a lamina deeply divided into three main segments, themselves deeply segmented. The base of the petiole is framed by several foliaceous pieces, lanceolate, 0.5 to 2 cm long. The leaf grows gradually until reaching adult size.
General habit
Tacca leontopetaloides is a tuft reduced to 1 or 2 leaves with long vertical petiole and a long pedunculated inflorescence. The leaves are 50 to 120 cm tall and the inflorescence is 60 to 180 cm tall.
Underground system
The roots are fasciculate, filiform. They develop from a globular subterranean tubercle 3 to 8 cm in diameter, corresponding to the undergrond stem of the plant.
Stem
The aerial stem corresponds to the floriferous axis. It is cylindrical and hollow. It is glabrous, very finely ridged longitudinally and is 5 to 10 mm in diameter.
Leaf
The leaves are usually solitary or in pairs. They develop directly from the tuber. The base of the petiole is framed by some leafy and lanceolate pieces, 0.5 to 2 cm long. The petiole is cylindrical and hollow. It is 30 to 80 cm long. It is upright and has a lamina deeply divided into 3 webbed segments. Each segment has a prominent main vein. It is itself divided into segments, of lanceolate form, at the acute summit. The main segments can measure up to 40 cm long. Both sides are glabrous. The underside is marked by a fine network of small ribs in relief.
Inflorescence
The flowers are assembled in a corymb at the top of the floriferous axis. The inflorescence is subtended by 6 elliptic lanceolate foliate bracts 3 to 4 cm long. Between the flowers are numerous filiform bracts 3 to 10 cm long.
Flower
The flowers are borne by a filiform pedicel 3 to 5 cm long. The calyx and the corolla merge into 6 similar pieces, the tepals, yellowish in color. These pieces are welded at the base, enclosing the ovary. They separate at the top, in 6 oblong lobes, 0.5 cm long. Each tepal carries a short stamen at the base. The ovary is inferior, it is surmounted by a short style and 3 bilobed stigmas.
Fruit
The fruits are obovoid berries, 3.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, which become rapidly pendulous. The top of the fruit is surmounted by 6 tepals. The fruit is smooth, yellow in color. It contains many seeds included in a translucent pulp.
Seed
The seeds are obovoid, 5 mm long and 3 mm wide. They are strongly wrinkled longitudinally.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Northern Cameroon: Vegetation recovery of Tacca leontopetaloides takes place in June when rains become abundant. This recovery is manifested by the development of the leaf, which gradually grows. Flowering begins at the end of July and continues until early September. The leaf and the inflorescence dry out at the end of the rainy season (October).
Mayotte: T. leontopetaloides flowers from October to April and fruits from November to May.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Growth form
Northern Cameroon: Tacca leontopetaloides grows in the Sudano-Sahelian and Sudanian regions, with an annual rainfall of between 900 and 1,500 mm. It is a characteristic species of the savannah and forest of these regions. It grows on well structured soils such as non-degraded ferruginous soils or planosoils. Although very infrequent, it is an excellent species indicative of young plots, cultivated for less than three years and from clearing. It is particularly found in crops with little intensification, for which tillage is superficial. It disappears after a few years of cultivation, especially when tillage becomes deep.
Mayotte: T. leontopetaloides is a native species sometimes cultivated and very common in the agricultural and pasture areas of Mayotte, both in mesophilic and hygrophilic regions and on the driest islets and points. It is especially present in the center and the south of the island.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Worldwide distribution
Tacca leontopetaloides is widespread throughout tropical Africa and the tropics of the old world (India, South-East Asia to Australia). In the Indian Ocean it is present in Comoros, Mayotte, Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius).
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local harmfulness
Northern Cameroon: Tacca leontopetaloides is a minor weed of annual crops, present only in young plots.
Mayotte: T. leontopetaloides is a weed present in 8% of cultivated plots. It is mainly found in forage crops, food crops and ylang plantations.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
- Huat, J., Nagy, M., Carpente, A., Schwartz, M., Le Bourgeois, T. & Marnotte, P. 2021. Guide de la flore spontannée des agrosystèmes de Mayotte. Montpellier, Cirad. 150 p.
- Le Bourgeois, T. and H. Merlier (1995). Adventrop - Les adventices d'Afrique soudano-sahélienne. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- Le Bourgeois Th., 1993. Les mauvaises herbes dans la rotation cotonnière au Nord-Cameroun (Afrique) - Amplitude d'habitat et degré d'infestation - Cycle de développement. Thèse USTL Montpellier II, Montpellier, France, 241p.
- Berhaut J., 1967. Flore du Sénégal. 2ème éd. Clairafrique éd., Dakar, Sénégal, 485p.
- Hutchinson J., Dalziel J. M., Keay R. W. J. & Hepper F. N., 1968. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol. III part. 1. 2ème éd.. The Whitefriars Press ed., London & Tonbridge, 276p.
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 487 p.
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:827910-1
- Huat, J., Nagy, M., Carpente, A., Schwartz, M., Le Bourgeois, T. & Marnotte, P. 2021. Guide de la flore spontannée des agrosystèmes de Mayotte. Montpellier, Cirad. 150 p.
- Le Bourgeois, T. and H. Merlier (1995). Adventrop - Les adventices d'Afrique soudano-sahélienne. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- Le Bourgeois Th., 1993. Les mauvaises herbes dans la rotation cotonnière au Nord-Cameroun (Afrique) - Amplitude d'habitat et degré d'infestation - Cycle de développement. Thèse USTL Montpellier II, Montpellier, France, 241p.
- Berhaut J., 1967. Flore du Sénégal. 2ème éd. Clairafrique éd., Dakar, Sénégal, 485p.
- Hutchinson J., Dalziel J. M., Keay R. W. J. & Hepper F. N., 1968. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol. III part. 1. 2ème éd.. The Whitefriars Press ed., London & Tonbridge, 276p.
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 487 p.
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:827910-1
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Tacca%2520leontopetaloides
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Liliopsida |
Order | Dioscoreales |
Family | Taccaceae |
Genus | Tacca |
Species | Tacca leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze |