Tacca chantrieri Green Isle seeds

This rare form of Bat Flower, known as Tacca chantrieri 'Green Isle', produces large, strange and fascinating inflorescences, in shades of green and light brown. It unfolds its large bracts like wings around a cluster of dark flowers, accompanied by long green filaments trailing in graceful fringe. This inflorescence is carried by a stem emerging from a basal tuft of elongated, elegant, bright green leaves. Native to tropical regions of Asia, this frost-tender plant is reserved for experienced or curious gardeners, and should be grown in a warm and humid greenhouse, in a bright location but without direct sunlight.

Tacca chantrieri belongs to the Taccaceae family, consisting of the single genus Tacca. It is a rhizomatous perennial species indigenous to Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and nearby regions of China, naturalized and cultivated in many tropical Asian regions. In the wild, it is found growing in forests, valleys, alongside rivers, from 200m (656ft) to 1300m altitude, on acidic and humus-rich soil. Under good cultivation conditions, it reaches a height of 75 to 90cm (30 to 35in) when flowering, with foliage reaching 40 to 50cm (16 to 20in). The 'Green Isle' variety is a rare form of this plant, with an unusual colour combining green and light brown.

The plant develops from thick rhizomes. It forms a clump of basal leaves, borne on petioles 10 to 30cm (4 to 12in) long, with oblong and entire lamina measuring 20 to 50cm (8 to 20in) (sometimes 60cm (24in)) in length and 7cm (3in) in width. The leaves resemble those of Spathiphyllums. They are glabrous or pubescent, cuneiform, pointed at their tips. The foliage is bright green and shiny, with visible veins. In our climates, flowering occurs from June to August, and sporadically until December. Only plants aged 2 or 3 years produce inflorescences. This "bat flower" owes its name to its very distinctive inflorescence, which resembles the small mammal both in shape and in its very dark colour. The flowers are brown, quite light, consisting of 5 petals, grouped in clusters (up to 25 flowers) in the centre of four bracts, two of which, in the outer position, are particularly developed. They are tinted green and veined with light brown. Each flower pedicel produces long trailing green filaments, 25cm (10in) long, forming a shooting star tail. The fruits are berries that contain numerous small kidney-shaped seeds.

The bat flower is a plant for experienced gardeners, a curiosity to be admired up close, protected from cold and scorching sun, in a heated greenhouse or conservatory, without direct sunlight. It is adorned with beautiful foliage and offers one of the most interesting flowers among plants. As such, it can only inspire fascination and interest in those who contemplate it. However, it can sometimes be capricious and demanding in terms of cultivation conditions. When it is happy, this plant grows, flowers abundantly, and even produces offsets. When something is lacking, it slowly weakens and eventually disappears. Unfortunately, the only way to know if you can provide good cultivation conditions is to try. Keep in mind that this plant originates from hot and humid tropical areas of Asia, and experiences some dryness during its resting period in winter in our latitudes.