A tuberous, stout, indigenous herb, 1.0-1.5 m in height. Tubers depressed, globose or hemispherical, 20-30 cm in diam, dark brown outside, pale dull brown inside or sometimes almost white, with numerous, long terete roots; leaves solitary, ripartite, 30-90 cm broad or even more, appearing long after the flowers: petioles 60-90 cm long, stout, warted, dark green and mottled with paler blotches; segments 5-18 cm long 2.5-9.0 cm broad, obovate or oblong, acute, sessile; peduncle short, stout, elongating in fruit; spathe 15-30 cm broad, bell shaped, with recurved undulate and crisped margins, greenish pink externally or pinkish purple; spadix sessile, columnar, as long as the spathe, appendage usually longer than the spathe, cream-coloured, smooth; flowers unisexual: male inflorescence sub-turbinate, male flowers pale yellow, densely crowded; female inflorescence cylindric, styles purple; berries clustered, obovoid, red, 2-3 seeded, 8-12 mm long.

Oxytocic (plant); aperient,carminative and expectorant; the fresh ones are an acrid stimulant and expectorant, and increase appetite and taste (corns); restorative, stomachic, tonic.

Plants for a Future
Philiphine Medicinal Plants

Amylase, betulinic acid, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, leupeol, triacontane and amino acids (corm); ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin (root)

Asthma, dysentery and hemorrhoids (corm decoction); to treat acute rheumatism.

People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.