Wagner, Warren L., Derral R. Herbst and S. H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i (Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Special Publication, 2 Vol. Set). Honolulu, HI

Flora of Hawaii:

Distribution     
Native to the Paleotropics from western Africa through southeastern Asia and Malesia and northern Australia. In the Marquesas a Polynesian introduction. In the Hawaiian Islands, a Polynesian introduction on Ni`ihau, Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i.

Habit
Perennial, seasonally dormant herbs; tubers depressed-globose or broadly ellipsoid, thin-skinned and smooth, 1.5-5 cm long, 1-8 cm in diameter, subterranean growing near the surface or up to 0.5 m below the surface, tubers replaced during the year by new ones that arise from a thick, downward-growing rhizome and remain dormant after senescence of the aerial parts; leaves arising from an apical cavity, the base of the leaves and inflorescences at least in young plants surrounded by linear-lanceolate cataphylls 8-21 cm long. 

Leaves
Leaves 1-3, broadly obovate, ovate, or oblong-ovate in outline, blades 30-70 cm long, up to 120 cm wide, palmately divided, the lobes deeply pinnately divided at base, deeply 3-cleft above, each lobe pinnately divided, ultimate segments basically lanceolate; petioles hollow, 17-150 cm long, the sheath 2-25 cm long.  

Flowers
Inflorescence arising from tuber, usually solitary, the flowers 20-40 on green, hollow scapes 20-170 cm long, involucral bracts 4-12, pale to dark green, occasionally with purplish margins, variable in size, the outer ones 2.5-10 cm long, usually somewhat drooping, the inner ones essentially similar in shape, slightly smaller, spreading to erect, the floral bracts 20-40, dark purple or dark blackish brown, filiform, up to 25 cm long, each flower drooping, on pedicels up to 6 cm long, elongating up to 8 cm long in fruit; tepals yellowish green or purplish green, the perianth tube 1.5-5 mm long, the lobes somewhat fleshy with membranous margins, the outer 3 elliptic or ovate, (1.5) 4-7 mm long, the inner 3 ovate or oblong-ovate, 5-7.5 mm long; stamens white or dull yellow to brown or purple; ovary with numerous pellucid glandular hairs 1.5-3 mm long, with a ribbed annular disc.  

Fruit
Fruit pale to dark green, maturing pale orange, ellipsoid or ovoid, 1.5-2.5(-3.5) cm in diameter, rugose.   

Seeds
Seeds numerous, yellowish brown, ovoid to ellipsoid, 5.5-8 mm long, 15-19--ribbed, testa white, spongy.