Alocasia portei

Alocasia portei is a massive Philippine species, one of the largest in the genus, capable of reaching 6-10 metres tall in ideal conditions with a thick, tree-like stem. Its deeply lobed, pinnatifid leaves can reach 1.5m long with crisped, wavy margins, a markedly different silhouette from the broad, undivided leaves of most other Alocasia species. Despite its large eventual size, it is anecdotally common and widespread across the Philippines, though formal botanical collections remain scarce given the difficulty of collecting such a large plant. It is one of the parent species behind the hybrid 'Portadora' (crossed with Alocasia odora).

Native range

Luzon, Philippines (humid tropical forest understory)

Classification

Genus

Alocasia

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Upright, thick-stemmed, tree-like with age

Morphology

Leaf shape

Deeply lobed, pinnatifidFoliage deeply lobed in a feather-like pattern, but not cut all the way to the central vein., crisped wavy margins

Leaf length

Up to 1.5m at full maturity outdoors

Leaf width

Proportionally broad, deeply cut into narrow lobes

Petiole colour

Thick, green, sheathing a stout stem

Venation

Bold central vein with radiating lobed divisions

Texture

Semi-glossy

Variegation

N/A: solid green leaf blade

Growth habit

Upright, thickening stem, tree-like with age