Bat plant (Tacca chantrieri) has deep purple, almost black bracts on tall, 20-inch flowering stems. The flowers, which can grow up to 10 inches long, superficially resemble a bat in flight with long whiskers. The foliage of this unusual-looking shade-loving plant resembles Spathiphyllum, and its color and odor attract bats and flies to achieve cross-pollination.

Tacca is a monotypic genus in the Taccadeae family, with a natural population range limited to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. In some species, the flowers act as traps to ensure that flies crawl around the flowers enough to guarantee the transfer of pollen. Tubers from one species in this genus are used as a source of starch (Tahiti arrowroot), while the leaves of a second are used to make hats; a third has medicinal properties.