There is a conspicuous lack of information about the identification of
these plants. Members of this genus hail from Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, parts of Asia, South
and Central America including Mexico, and some Pacific Islands. They do not occur in the wild
in North America, except in Puerto Rico.
They grow in partial sun to shade, and make good indoor plants.
Identification: Evergreen, 1-6′ (30-182 cm) high, and 1-5′ (30-152 cm)
around. Leaves are dark green, glossy and somewhat triangular in shape.
The inflorescence, called a spadix, is the small cylinder in the center. It produces tiny individual
florets. The large enclosing
“petal” is actually a bract (modified leaf) called a spathe, a kind of protective package that happens to be
beautiful as well. In the natural species the spathe is white, but cultivars have produced other
colors like this red variety.