Typhonodorum lindleyanum aka Water Banana

Typhonodorum lindleyanum is a large perennial in the arum family, Araceae. Kew lists its native range as Madagascar, Comoros, and Tanzania’s Pemba and Zanzibar islands. It grows beside muddy streams and in marshes. It also forms stands in freshwater swamps near the coast. These stands can consist of this species alone. Though Kew places it in a seasonally dry tropical region, its own sites are wet.

The plant has a thick pseudostem that looks like a banana stem. This grows from a short rhizome that runs along the ground. A rosette of leaves crowns the stem. Plants usually reach about 5–8 feet [1.5–2.5 metres] tall. Larger plants may reach 13 feet [4 metres]. The pseudostem can measure about 1 foot [0.3 metres] across. Its upright form and crown of leaves account for its use as an ornamental.

In cultivation, this species needs a sunny place with ample water. It grows in wet soil, marshy ground, or shallow water. These needs suit a wet planting site rather than dry ground. Growers can raise it from seed or use suckers. The supplied sources give no flowering season or cold-hardiness range. They also provide no details on fruit, pests, or diseases.

People gather this plant from the wild for several uses. The leaf sheaths yield fibre for strong fishing lines. Workers break a sheath, then pull threads along its length. The fresh threads are deep yellow and become paler with washing. People also use the leaves to thatch roofs. The rhizome supplies starch and has a reported folk-medicine use for venomous animal bites. That report does not establish it as an effective treatment.

Food use needs a clear warning. All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals, and fresh material is toxic. The plant’s juice can also cause itching on contact. Eating it can cause sharp pain in the mouth, tongue, and throat. The rhizome has served as food after extensive preparation. Yet the source reports mouth and throat irritation even after heating the starch. This makes its food value poor and uncertain. Its recorded food use should not be read as assurance of safety. People prone to kidney stones or gout face an added caution in the source.