Gen info
- Araceae is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. Also known as the arum family, members are colloquially known as aroids. The family contains 114 genera and about 3,750 known species. (1)
- Gonatopus boivinii is a robust perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Araceae family.
- Etymology: The genus name Gonatopus derives from Greek words gonato, meaning "knee" and pous meaning "foot", referring to the knee-like swollen joint (pulvinus) found on the plant's leaf stalk. The specific epithet boivinii honors Louis Hyacinthe Boivin (1808-1852), a French Botanical collector who gathered plants in East Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarene Islands. The local name Giraffe's knees refers to the swollen joint or pulvinus on its leaf stalk/petiole.

Botany
• Growth form: Tuberous herb producing a solitary leaf to 1.2m tall. Foliage: Leaf solitary, tri-pinnate. Leaflets to 5 (6)cm long by 2.5(3)cm wide, mid - dark green, venation distinct. Petiole   with distinct, 'knee like' swollen zones, usually dull grayish silver with olive green mottling and dark brown- black spots, in some specimens completely pale green without spots/ mottling. Flowers: Inflorescence to 20(30)cm tall, appearing together with the solitary leaf. Adaxial surface of spathe (facing the spadix) cream - white, in some specimens with dull olive green streaks or mottling. Abadxial surface of spathe cream, densely mottled with olive green - brown streaks and spots  . Spadix cream - white. 
(Flora & Fauna Web)

• Robust perennial herb, up to 1.2 m. Leaf solitary, 3-pinnate on a long, thick fleshy stalk with a knee-like swelling in the middle. Flowers 1-5, appearing with the leaf; spathe up to 22 cm long; spadix creamy-yellow. (Flora of Mozambique)

Distribution
- Naturalized in Batangas and NCR.
- Introduced as an ornamental, but persists after cultivation, and has started to colonize some areas.
- Potentially invasive. (3)
- Native to DR Congo, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. (4)

Properties

Parts used
Stems, roots, leaves.

Uses
Edibility
- In Kenya, used as famine food.
Folkloric
- No reported medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In African traditional medicine, dried, ground and powdered roots used topically for treatment of snakebite. Stem heated for 7 to 10 minutes used for treatment of ear infections. (5)
- In Tanzania, topically used as antifungal. (6)
- In Kenya, roots used for treatment of mumps. (7)
- Dried and powdered plant parts are added to porridge or tea to alleviate headaches.

Studies
• No studies found.

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Plants in the cybermarket.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Araceae: Wikipedia
(2)
Gonatopus boivinii / Wikipedia
(3)
Araceae: Gonatopus boivinii / Co's Digital Flora Database
(4)
Gonatopus boivinii / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(5)
Ethnomedicinal plants used for treatment of snakebites in Tanzania – a systematic review / Neema Gideon Mogha, Olivia John Kalokora, Halima Mvungi Amir, David Sylvester Kacholi / Phar Biol., 2022; 60(1): pp 1925-1934 / DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2123942
(6)
Brine Shrimp Toxicity Evaluation of Some Tanzanian Plants Used Traditionally for the Treatment of Fungal Infections / Mainen J Moshi, Carolien JP van den Beukel, Andre JAM van der Ven et al / African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2006; 4(2): pp 219-225 /
DOI: 10.4314/ajtcam.v4i2.31211
(7)
Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches / Fredrick Munyao Mutie, Yuvenalis Morara Mbuni, Qing-Feng Wang et al / Plants (Basel), 2023; 12(5): 1145 / DOI: 10.3390/plants12051145
(8)
Is Gonatopus boivinii toxic to cats? / Grwoli

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)