20/05/2026
The Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines lists 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙪𝙨 as native to the Philippines. If you ask me, I'd rather regard this as a cryptogenic species. A cryptogenic plant is one whose natural distribution has already been obscured because it is spread far and wide by migrating humans. These species include those that are used as food, or have cultural, medicinal, ritualistic, and ornamental significance. In the case of 𝘼. 𝙥𝙖𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙪𝙨, the corms are edible, though nowadays are most often used as hog feed. The emerging shoots are cooked in some provinces. It is easy to carry the dormant corms into new lands by intrepid, migrating humans. I don't think anyone really knows where this species originally came from.
This is the most common 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨 species in the Philippines, where it is known as 'pungapong' (along with several orthographical variants). You can find these plants in cultivated lands, sidewalks, waste places, abandoned lots, and secondary forests. Never in intact habitats like you would with the rest of the native species. It is unlikely to be confused with any other local species (the only similar species is 𝘼｡ 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙠𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨); anyone with some degree of familiarity with 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨 should be able to identify this with confidence, so do away with '𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨 sp.' or '𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨 cfr. 𝙥𝙖𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙪𝙨'. Just straightaway say '𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙪𝙨'. This is one of two inflorescences of this species in my own backyard.
The Philippine 𝘼𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙚 list of the CDFP here:
https://www.philippineplants.org/Families/Araceae.html
