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Tacca cristata Jack
| Family Name: | Dioscoreaceae |
| Synonyms: | Ataccia cristata (Jack) Kunth |
| Common Name: | White Bat Lily, Bat Flower, Giant Bat Plant, White Bat Plant, Devil's Flower, Keladi Murai, Kelemoyang Air, Belimbing Tanah |
The White Bat Lily (Tacca cristata) is a shade-loving herbaceous plant that can be found in the forest understorey of Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. It produces bizarre inflorescences with white, rabbit-ears-like bracts and long, whisker-like bracteoles. The unique flowers are pollinated by female midges and also exhibit self-pollination. This species was previously misidentified as T. integrifolia, which is only native to India through China.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Herbaceous Plant |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Irregular, Fountain (Palm-like) |
| Maximum Height | 0.6 m to 1 m |
| Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 0.6 m to 0.9 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Peninsular Malaysia & Singapore |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
| Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Vulnerable (VU)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a perennial, herbaceous plant that grows up to 1 m tall. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are fleshy, oblong to broadly lance-shaped, up to 40–65 cm long by 15–17 cm wide, with depressed veins. The upperside of the leaves is glossy and green, while the undersides are paler and matt. The petioles are D-shaped in cross-section, green with purple edges. The leaves are arranged in a rosette. |
| Stems | It has cylindrical rhizomes (thick, horizontal modified stems), usually underground, but can be visible as the plant ages. |
| Flowers | The inflorescence is an umbellate cymose, subtended by two pairs of involucral bracts: the outer pair is purple, ovate, and positioned sideways, and the inner pair resembles rabbit ears, being spathulate, with a dark purple base, purple margin and vein, and pale-purple or purplish green in the middle. The bracteoles are thread-like and reaching 17 cm long. Each flower has six greenish-purple to dark purple tepals (a term for petals and sepals), six purple stamens and a single tri-lobed stigma. Each flower is attached to a 2.4-3.4 cm long pedicel (a flower stalk). The inflorescences and flowers grow above the foliage. |
| Fruit | Its fruits are ribbed obpyramidal berries, 5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide, that ripened to dark brown to purple, and contain numerous brown, ovoid seeds. |
| Habitat | It grows in the understorey of lowland to lower hill moist to perhumid dipterocarp forest over granite. <2> It can be found locally along Seletar Track, in Nee Soon Swamp Forest, Bukit Batok, and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. |
| Associated Fauna | Its flowers are pollinated by female ceratopogonid midges but also exhbiti autogamy (self-pollination). <1> |
| Taxonomy | The genus Tacca was previously classified in its own family (Taccaceae) but has now been subsumed into Dioscoreaceae under APG II (2003). This species was previously misidentified as T. integrifolia; apart from floral morphological differences, the latter is native to Northeastern India through Southwest China. |
| Cultivation | It grows well in moist, shaded areas with moist but well-draining soil and plenty of organic material. It prefers high humidity due to its humid, understorey habitat. It can be propagated by seeds, rhizomes, or division. |
| Etymology | The genus Tacca is from a Malayan vernacular name, taka, 'arrowroot'. The specific epither cristata is Latin for 'crest' or 'comb.' |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Cultural / Religious: Orang asli (arboriginal Malays) in Malaysia are said to avoid looking into the "eyes" of the inflorescence for fear of death. Due to its almost all-black inflorescences, plant also regarded as inauspicious by the superstitious. Others: The cut stems are bundled up, wrapped with leaves, and roasted to extract juice that is applied as poison to arrowheads. |
Landscaping Features
| Landscaping | It is suitable for shaded to partially-shaded, moist areas in parks and gardens. |
|---|---|
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Foliage |
| Landscape Uses | General, Container Planting, Focal Plant, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Interiorscape/ Indoor Plant |
| Thematic Landscaping | Naturalistic Garden |
| Usage Hazard - Cons | Toxic Upon Ingestion |
| Usage Hazard - Cons Remarks | Toxic if ingested: The plant contains taccalonolides, and while it's not known to be toxic to humans, it may cause allergic reaction. It can be toxic to cats and dogs.. |
| Plant & Rootzone Preference or Tolerance Remarks | pH 5.1 - 5.5 |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Abiotic (Self-Pollinated), Biotic (Fauna) (Carrion Insects (Carrion Fly, Carrion Beetle)) |
|---|
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Semi-Shade, Full Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water, Occasional Misting |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Acidic (low pH) Soils, Moist Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Fertilizing | Use slow-release fertilizers. |
| Propagation Method | Seed, Storage Organ (Rhizome), Division |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth, Leathery, Glossy / Shiny, Raised / Sunken Veins |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Rosulate / Rosette |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Lanceolate, Elliptical, Oblong) |
| Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acuminate |
| Foliar Base | Cuneate |
| Typical Foliar Area | Notophyll ( 20.25cm2 - 45 cm2 ) |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Acaulescent |
|---|---|
| Root Type | Underground (Fibrous Root) |
| Specialised Storage Organ(s) | Underground (Rhizome) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Brown, Purple |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Flower Symmetry | Bilateral |
| Ovule Placentation | Parietal |
| Ovary Position | Inferior / Epipgynous |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
| Inflorescence Type Remarks | Umbellate cymose |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Black, Purple |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Fleshy Fruit , Berry |
References
| References | <1> Lim, G.S, & Raguso, R.A. (2017). Floral Visitation, Pollen Removal, and Pollen Transport of Tacca cristata Jack (Dioscoreaceae) by Female Ceratopogonid Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). International Journal of Plant Sciences., 178(5). <2> Wong, S.Y., & Chua, K.S. (2019). Phylogeny of Tacca (Taccaceae) and traits in reproductive structures, with description of a new Bornean species. Biodiversitas 20: 3096-3118. |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 1197 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 2490 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
