Tacca Chantrieri

            The Black bat flower, Tacca chantrieri, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. Tacca chantrieri is an unusual species in that it has black flowers. These flowers are somewhat bat-shaped, are up to 12 inches across, and have long 'whiskers' that can grow up to 28 inches. There are different colour types, including white and brown, both retaining the whiskers of the black variety.
           
Tacca chantrierei grow wild in the tropical forest in Yunnan Province, China, where they can get as tall as 36 inches (~0.91 metres). They grow best in well-drained soil and high humidity but are hardy down to -3C.