Plant Profile: Giant Swamp Taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii)

A cultivated form of C. merkusii growing underneath a waterfall at Singapore Botanic Gardens. Introduction Cyrtosperma merkusii is a very large aroid thought to be native to Malesia, occurring in forest streams and freshwater swamps. It seems to be the only species of Cyrtosperma to naturally occur outside of west Melanesia. It is arguably one …

Plant Progress: Cyrtosperma merkusii, Giant Swamp Taro

It's been a while since I last posted. The last few months have been tough (as I'm sure they have for everyone), but I'm going to pick this up again! You might remember my last post detailing this species and my attempts to coax life from a tiny rhizome segment. After crawling along for several …

Plant Profile: Cyrtosperma johnstonii

Introduction & Origins Cyrtosperma johnstonii is a tropical plant native to the Solomon Islands in Oceania. Similar to its huge siblings C. merkusii and C. giganteum, it also has large, starchy rhizomes and gigantic leaves. This plant is grown across Southeast Asia as an ornamental, and despite its popularity, not too much is known about …