Tacca chantrieri

Tacca chantrieri is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. It was first described in 1901 by Édouard André. T. chantrieri is native to southeastern Asia. It is commonly known as the black bat flower due to its shape and coloring. The bat flower has unique pollination method in that it is mostly autonomous self pollinating. T. chantrieri prefers environments similar to its native region with tropical, moist conditions. The bat flower has been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its purported uses are wide in range from common ailments to more complex conditions such as cancer.