Tacca chantrieri aka Black Bat Flower

Tacca chantrieri, commonly known as the black bat flower, is a fascinating species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. It was first described in 1901 by Édouard André. This erect, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial can grow up to 1m in height. It features oblong or lance-shaped leaves, ranging from 17-55cm in length, with a dark green color on the upper side and a paler shade underneath. During the summer, the plant produces leafless flowerstalks that can reach up to 65cm in height. At the top of these stalks, there are green, brown, or black bracts surrounding umbels of flowers. The flowers themselves have five green petals and are accompanied by dark green, maroon, or black thread-like appendages that can grow up to 25cm long. The Bat Plant, also known as Tacca Chantrieri, is not particularly difficult to grow despite its exotic appearance. The plant belongs to the Tacca genus, which comprises tropical, tuberous-rooted perennial herbs characterized by large basal leaves and brown or greenish flowers arranged in dense, round-topped clusters. The name "bat flower" derives from the bractea shape of the plant, which resembles bats.