Root : Adventitious but some may arise at the nodes.
Stem : Mostly rhizome but sometimes rises a considerable distance above the ground and a part may become aerial.
Leaves : Mostly large, entire, petiolate, more of less ovate and cordate or sagittate, parallel venation, petioles are well developed and swollen at the base, raphides are present in the cells of a leaf.
Inflorescence : Spadix. It is covered by a leafy bract which is called spathe. The spathe is tubular at the base and spread above. Spadix is free and shorter than spathe.
Flowers :
Sessile, bracteates, ebracteolate, incomplete, actinomorphic, hypogynous, unisexual but both male and female flowers found on the same spadix; female flowers above and male below with neutral flowers in between male and female flowers.
Perianth is absent.
Androecium : Stamens 3-5 arranged in a single whorl; the filaments are united throughout their length forming a synandrium, anthers dithecous, dehiscing by pores.
Gynoecium : Ovary superior, ovoid, 2-4 carpels, syncarpous, unilocular with few basal orthotropous ovules. Style short, Stigma 2-4 lobed.
Fruits : A red colouredberry, almost spherical, few seeded, enclosed by the accrescent tube of spathe.
Seeds : Black coloured, albuminous, rounded, thick smooth testa and axile embryo.
Significance : It is either grown for its beautiful foliage in the gardens or it is cultivated for its edible rhizomes.
