Libraries

Bloomin' in the library

Here's what is blooming in the Malpass Library for the month of August
Picture of bat flower.

The bat flower (Tacca chantrieri)

The bat flower (Tacca chantrieri), sometimes called cat’s whiskers, is a new plant in the WIU Libraries that bloomed on arrival. It is notable for its dark, almost brown-black flowers. It is native to Malaysia and other parts of southeast Asia (map from Encyclopedia of Life: http://eol.org/pages/345442/maps) where it grows in lowland primary and secondary forests. In the wild, it blooms from February to October.

The genus Tacca is a member of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae). While it can be pollinated by insects, it can also self-pollinate (Zhang, et al., 2005). According to Flora Malesiana, the tender leaves and stems are used in curries. The rhizome is used for medicinal purposes in Thailand.

In the wild, the Bat Flower spreads via rhizomes, underground stems that bear leaves and stems. It grows in the understory, which means it prefers shade. They also like high humidity.

The plant is located near the windows facing Western Hall on the north side of 6th Floor.

Map from: The encyclopedia of life (EOL). [Washington, D.C.: Encyclopedia of Life Secretariat].

Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, eds. Flora Malesiana: Being an Illustrated Systematic Account of the Malaysian Flora, series I, volume 7, part 4, pages 806-815. Batavia: Noordhoff-Kolff, 1948.

Zhang, Ling et al. Predicting mating patterns from pollination syndromes: the case of “sapromyiophily” in Tacca chantrieri (Taccaceae). American Journal of Botany, March 2005 v. 92, no. 3, p. 517-524.

For more information contact:
Linda Zellmer
LR-Zellmer@wiu.edu
298-2723
Click here to see previous plants that have bloomed in the Malpass Library.