臭菘 chou song

Rhizome hypogeous, to 7 cm in diam. Leaves in a rosette; petiole to 40 × ca. 1 cm; leaf blade orbicular-cordate, 30-40 cm long and wide or nearly so (to 33 cm wide), mid-green, base cordate, apex acute; venation reticulate, midvein very strong, primary veins 5 on each side, ascending toward apex, lowermost ones running into basal lobes. Flowering before leaves appear; inflorescence usually solitary; peduncle green and purplish tinged, 7-13(-20) × ca. 1 cm. Spathe plain purple to blackish purple, rarely green without any markings or with dark purple spots, boat-shaped, 8-20 × 5-12 cm, strongly leathery, apex acuminate. Spadix ellipsoid, 2-2.5 × ca. 1.2 cm. Flowers densely arranged. Flower 3-3.5 mm in diam., tepals pinkish, thecae yellow. Fl. early spring, fr. summer of same year.

Wet places, forest swamps, moist mixed and coniferous forests, swampy meadows and lands; below 300 m. Heilongjiang [Japan, Russia (Far East)].

The plant is poisonous but sometimes is used medicinally to treat swelling.