Hi
Sounds like some type of "Aroid" of which there are a gazillion types. Check over on the "aroid" forum would help to have a pic?? Many are invasive in the proper climate but can be contained of course. gary

It sounds as if it could be Amorphophallus titanium.

OK, now I feel a fool.
I was going to say that this plant looks a lot like another plant I have, which looks a lot like an aquatic tree in the garden from which I got the new plant. Do you see what's coming?

I checked the online database of the garden to get the name of the old one. Guess what? That plant is Typhonodorum lindleyanum. So I'm pretty darn sure that's the plant I just got, and the older one (which was collected in Madagascar) is the same or related. This comes from getting plants at water garden club meetings, where the donor doesn't always know the name!

here's the database if you'd like to have some fun
http://htbg.com/search.php

PS; it'a listed as "Habit: Aroid" You guys are great, thank you very much!

Fabtastic
One of the worlds most incredible water plants . I lost mine a couple of years ago to frost but you won't have that problem lol Very hard to find in this neck of the woods gary

So will this plant do OK in dirt instead of pond or bog? I don't have pond space for two!

We average more than 170" rain a year, so things almost never dry out. Even the water hyacinth we pulled out of the pond three months ago are still alive--and blooming. And this is the dry season.

I've had Typhonodorum lindleyanum for years and no problems at all. Whoever told you they would take over your yard was grossly exaggerating. They prefer to be standing in water but as long as they don't dry out they'll be okay. The flowers (inflorescence) are huge for an aroid. I osed to give the seeds away but have run out of takers. Now I just cut the flower stems off before the seeds can develop. I've seen some photos of some very battered looking plants, but they're generally in a colder climate, more exposed to wind, or too dry and in too much sun.

Great picture!
a neighbor told me his sneaks around his yard by sending underground runners.

I think they're pretty hard to kill. My older plant has been sitting in a 5-gallon bucket with just water, no dirt, for about a year, ever since our big pond sprang a leak. It has lots of roots and looks healthy, but is only about 2 feet tall. I'm hoping for a growth spurt in the new pond and dirt and even fertilizer!

Hi
Are you sure that's a Typhonodorum?? Looks much more like one of the taro species?? T L develops a trunk and the leaves originate from the trunk and are scalloped looking much like a shrub type philo. I suspect "Thai giant"??
Steiconi tell you what I did . Got a kiddie wading pool and buried it up th the rim filled with various types of soil. i grew asian lotus using that method also . My understanding was that they need standing water though not very deep had no problem until the cold weather took a nose dive at 55!! you won't have that problem lol.
There is some info on the net. just google the name
How was your source growing them?? Even better source of info. good luck !! gary

Steiconi, what your neighbour is describing is one of the Colocasias. Some of them have a habit of running rampant with runners all over the place. Typhonodorum doesn't have runners.

Garyfla, it's definitely Typhonodorum lindleyanum. The trunk looks more like a banana, hence it's common name - Water Banana. It grows very tall, mine is 3 metres now. It likes shallow water but I found during the wet season the fluctuating water levels didn't worry it at all. Other water aroids in with it didn't like the changing at all, especially times the water was deep.

Garyfla, it's suddenly dawned on me what you're describing.

"...develops a trunk and the leaves originate from the trunk..."

That's Alocasia macrorrhizos (or perhaps A. brisbanensis which naturally grows in more water). Typhonodorum leaves wrap like banana leaves.

Gary, great tip with the wading pool! I'm at 1500 feet elevation, so we do (rarely) get below 55 here. But my lotus is dormant in the winter, so the roots are warm enough in the mud.

Thanks for the tip about the runners, tropic breeze! Info gleaned at club meetings can be very good or no so much. Kinda like the internet!

tropic breeze
Now that pic is easy to identify!! Mind boggling array of Aroids . Noted on Typhonium alone there are 50 species .
I would love to try again but have been unable to locate them The original I got over the internet.
Certainly are a remarkable looking plant My pond area is way to small and climate really isn't quite good enough but maybe I'll find one and I'll keep it in the shadehouse. Thanks for the pix!!! gary

A pity you're not closer. Last lot of seed I gave away, I missed a few which are now seedlings. The main person I give them to grows them up to about half a metre tall and sells them through a retailer for just under $30. Glad I don't have to buy any.

There's only the one Typhonodorum, but the IAS lists 76 species of Typhonium. However, Typhonium has been the subject of a revision and it looks like all the Australian species are being shifted to a new genus, Lazarum.

Hi
Since i live in s. florida ,don't see how it would be possible to be further apart, another planet ?? lol
Asian tropicals are difficult to find while neo tropicals are easy Probably just the opposite in your area??
I quit trying to identify "aroids " long ago there are WAY too many kinds and every time I remember a few they revise the family lol There are also hundreds of hybrids to confound it even further lol
I suspect it would be illegal for me to import the seeds
anyway. Oh well the internet allows me to at least get a glimpse of them lol Thanks gary

Our quarantine people (AQIS) have a web site data base which lists permissible and prohibited imports. It's easy to look up and see what the restrictions/requirements are for plants/seeds. You'd probably have a similar site over there.

The thing with aroids it that they can be quite variable and still be the same species. Especially the juveniles which can be very different to the mature plants. But once you throw hybridisation into that it becomes totally confusing. And plants are sold under all sorts of names other than the real one. I bought a Philodendron labelled P. cannifolium the other day but turns out it's P. martianum. A couple of other plants I'm still trying to track down the right names for.

Hi
Florida is an agriculture state and has gazillions of invasive species so they are relatively strict about imports . To me it's not worth the hassle . I'll probably eventually find another specimen which I won't buy because it will be too high priced . I'm getting old and feeble anyway and mostly looking for easy care lol
Good luck with tracking down the names .I'm having fun
with so/called "evergreen caladiums". I suspect they are a hybrid between two families .Understand they originated in Asia The "stained glass seies are works of art and they do expand the growing season by at least two months For me they are not "evergreen" Good luck gary

Yes, I've heard the two centres of invasive weeds on the planet are Florida and Hawaii.

Those Caladiums are the hydrids from Thailand. They're popular here too. I find they're variable with dormancy. They grow any time of year and go into a short dormancy any time of year. There's a couple I have (not Thai) but they go all year. And then there's those that follow the summer/winter cycle.