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Tacca integrifolia Ker-Gawl

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Newsletter

Tacca integrifolia Ker-Gawl.

Tacca is a bizarre flowering plant. Four species of Tacca are found in Peninsular Malaysia: T. chantrieri
Andre, T. integrifolia Ker-Gawl., T. leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze and T. palmata Blume. Tacca chantrieri
and T. integrifolia have entire leaves; T. leontopetaloides has pinnatifid leaves and is usually found near
the sea while T. palmata has palmate leaves. The genus Tacca was originally categorized under the
family Taccaceae. However, recently after molecular research, it has been classified under the family
Dioscoreaceae together with the yam or ubi in Malay (Caddick et al., 2000, 2002a, 2002b).

The common species in Malaysian forests is T. integrifolia, popularly known as ‘Bat Flower’, because of
its two erect white bracts with mauve to purple venation, which look like bat wings. Its local Malay name
is keladi murai. Tacca integrifolia grows on the forest floor in deep shade and is widely distributed in
lowland and hill forest in both Peninsular and East Malaysia.

It is herbaceous, rhizomatous, and has large green leaves (11-45 × 5-12 cm). The cluster of 7–14
flowers on a long stalk up to 75 cm tall is held above the leaves. The two upper bracts (3.5-9 × 2-6 cm)
of the flower are inserted in the axil of one of the outer bracts, and are commonly called the ‘bat wings’.
The two outer bracts are sessile and arranged oppositely. The long filiform bracts like ‘whiskers’, hang
beneath and can be as long as 30 cm.

At first, the flowers are erect but after anthesis, they become pendent. The flowers smell like rotting meat
and attract flies as pollinators. The fruits (c. 3 × 1.5 cm) are ellipsoid with thick and fleshy walls. They are
swollen on the inner side of the base of the stalk causing the whole infructescence to hang down thereby
placing the immature fruits on the ground. When the fruits are mature they become a dull maroon colour.
They are probably dispersed by small mammals like rodents because of their dull colour and placement
on the ground (Saw, 1993).

In the United States and Europe, it is popular as a horticultural plant for its striking and unique
inflorescence. The plant is easy to grow in shade with good air circulation.

Author

Norzielawati Bt. Salleh (Main Author), Ruth Kiew (Editor) & Lee Su See (Editor)

http://www.mybis.gov.my/art/177 1/3
8/21/2017 Newsletter | Tacca integrifolia Ker-Gawl. | MyBIS

References

1. Caddick L.R., Rudall P.J., Wilkin P. & Chase M.W. 2000. Yams and their allies: Systematics of Dioscoreales. Pp.
465-487 in Wilson K.L. & Morrison D.A. (eds.) Systematics and Evolution of Monocots. Proceedings of the 2nd
International Monocot Symposium. CSIRO Publishing.

2. Caddick L.R., Rudall P.J., Wilkin P., Hedderson T.A.J. & Chase M.W. (2002). Phylogenetics of Dioscoreales based
on combined analyses of morphological and molecular data. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 138 (2): pp.
123-144

3. Caddick L.R., Wilkin P., Rudall P.J., Hedderson T.A.J. & Chase M.W. (2002). Yams Reclassified: A
Recircumscription of Dioscoreaceae and Dioscoreales. Taxon 51 (1): pp. 103-114

4. Saw L.G. (1993). Tacca flowering and fruiting behaviour. Nature Malaysiana 18 (1): pp. 3-6

Species Profile

Tacca integrifolia
Black Lily
Native
(http://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/39387)

Updated by Mr. Abdul Razak Mohd Nor Rasid & Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom. Published on July 31, 2017 and latest update on July 28, 2017   •
  84 views

Keyword :- Tacca; (http://www.mybis.gov.my/one/article.php?menu=36&search=Tacca) integrifolia;

(http://www.mybis.gov.my/one/article.php?menu=36&search=integrifolia) Dioscoreaceae; (http://www.mybis.gov.my/one/article.php?
menu=36&search=Dioscoreaceae) Bat Flower; (http://www.mybis.gov.my/one/article.php?menu=36&search=Bat+Flower) keladi murai;
(http://www.mybis.gov.my/one/article.php?menu=36&search=keladi+murai)

Citation:- Norzielawati, S., Ruth Kiew & Lee Su See (2017, July 31). Tacca integrifolia Ker-Gawl.. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System
(MyBIS). Retrieved from http://www.mybis.gov.my/art/177.

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