Tacca chantrieri Andre (Black bat flower)
The Black bat flower, Tacca chantrieri, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. Tacca chantrieri is an unusual species in that it has black flowers. These flowers are somewhat bat-shaped, are up to 12 inches across, and have long 'whiskers' that can grow up to 28 inches. There are different color types, including white and brown, both retaining the whiskers of the black variety.
Tacca chantrierei grow wild in the tropical forest in Yunnan Province, China, where they can get as tall as 36 inches (~0.91 meters). They grow best in well-drained soil and high humidity but are hardy down to -3C.
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacca_chantrieri
Taccas have beautiful large green foliage and get one of the most interesting flowers ever seen. However, these plants can be picky sometimes regarding their environmental conditions. When they like the conditions, they grow, flower a lot, and even produce babies. When something is not right, they slowly decline and eventually die. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way to know if you can provide them the right conditions is by trying. Large plants seem to do better than smaller ones.
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