Araceae

The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe or leaf-like bract. This bract can vary from 30 cm to 6 m. A striking feature of these monocots is that the leaf is not parallel-veined.

Also known as the arum family, members are often colloquially known as aroids. This family of 114 genera and about 3750 known species is most diverse in the New World tropics, although also distributed in the Old World tropics and northern temperate regions.

Many plants in this family are thermogenic (heat-producing). Their flowers can reach up to 45 °C even when the surrounding air temperature is much lower. One reason for this unusually high temperature is to attract insects (usually beetles) to pollinate the plant, rewarding the beetles with heat energy. Another reason is to prevent tissue damage in cold regions. Species such as Arum titanum or Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum) give off a very pungent smell, often resembling rotten flesh, to attract flies to pollinate the plant. The heat produced by the plant helps to convey the scent further. Meise Botanic Garden owns several specimens of this giant arum. This plant first bloomed there in 2008 and will bloom again soon.