Montrichardia

Scientific name

Montrichardia Crueg.

Common names

Yautia madera, Moco-Moco, arum lily

Family

Araceae

Similar genera

Cyrtosperma, Lasia, Typhonodorum, Urospatha

Native distribution

tropical South America

Species cultivated

Montrichardia arborescens (L.) Schott

M. linifera (Arruda) Schott

Adventive distribution

information not available

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

tall, erect, shrub-like herb that forms dense stands

Brief description

Slender tree-like aroid. Rhizomes submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
. Stems erect, tall, often swollen at base, sometimes with short spines. Leaves concentrated at apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
long, sheath persistentpersistent:
(adj) (of leaves etc,) remaining attached; not being dropped or falling off
, ending in a liguleligule:
(n) (1) a strap-shaped structure; (2) an often thin, membranous or hairy structure projecting from the top of the leaf sheath in grasses and a few other families; (3) the flattened part of the ray corolla in the Asteraceae
-like point; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
about equal to petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
, sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
with equal laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
and middle lobes; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
; base sagittatesagittate:
(adj) shaped like an arrowhead
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
entire to undulateundulate:
(adj) (of, e.g., a margin) with a wavy surface; wavy in the vertical (up and down) plane
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
palmate. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
axillary in leaf sheaths; spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
base convoluteconvolute:
(adj) rolled up or rolled together longitudinally, as leaves or petals in bud
, deciduousdeciduous:
(adj) shedding of parts at the end of their growing period, as with leaves; those trees or shrubs that drop their leaves at the end of the season
, base green, interior whitish; spadixspadix:
(n) a spike of small flowers borne on a thick, fleshy axis
about equal to spathespathe:
(n) a large bract or bracts subtending and often enclosing an inflorescence
, cylindricalcylindrical:
(adj) forming a nearly true cylinder
. Fruits large, spongy berries on infructescences.

Natural habitat

along river banks, swamps, or creeks

Additional comments

Montrichardia comprises two species that are used in folk medicine, have berries that are eaten, and are cultivated for decoration.