Alocasia odora (night-scented lily, "Kuwazuimo")

Japanese name: クワズイモ （不食芋）
Scientific name: Alocasia odora

[Overview]
A perennial more than 1 m tall, found in moist places in evergreen forests.
It has a thick rhizome.
The stem bears ring-shaped scars where leaves have fallen.
Several leaves grow at the stem tip; they are elliptical, about 60 cm in both length and width, with a heart-shaped base, and are characteristically attached to the petiole in a peltate manner.
The leaves are glossy and have entire margins.
The petiole is thick, 60–120 cm long.
A flower stalk 15–25 cm long emerges from the base of the leaves and bears a cream-colored spadix at its tip.
The inflorescence has a whitish-green spathe 14–18 cm long.
The flowers are small, with male and female flowers; female flowers are borne on the lower part of the inflorescence and male flowers on the upper part.
The fruit is a berry that ripens red.
When the fruit ripens, the spathe splits open and curls back.

[Uses]
The petioles and rhizomes are used medicinally.
The leaves are used to wrap or serve food.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division or cuttings.
Take care, as contact with the sap of the stem can cause a rash.
It prefers partial shade and well-drained soil.
Direct summer sun causes leaf scorch.
It can overwinter at around 5°C, and can overwinter outdoors in areas without frost.
In cold regions, bring it indoors in winter to a sunny spot.
Air from an air conditioner damages the leaves, so place it where the wind does not hit it directly.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries from spring to autumn, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
When kept indoors, misting the leaves with a sprayer prevents dryness and also helps guard against spider mites and the like.
Fertilizer is not particularly necessary, but diluted liquid fertilizer may be given once every two weeks from spring to autumn.
Pests and diseases include soft rot and spider mites.

[Notes]
The Japanese name derives from the fact that the tubers are acrid and inedible.

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