Stemona tuberose Lour.
Family
Stemonaceae
Synonyms
Roxburghia gloriosoides Roxb., Roxburghia gloriosa Pers., Stemona moluccana (Blume) C.H. Wight.
Vernacular Names
|
Indonesia |
Kanyalut (Moluccas), ngabalo (North Halmahera), isoratu (Ternate). |
|
Thailand |
Non taai yaak. |
|
Vietnam |
B[as]ch b[ooj], c[ur] ba m[uw][ow]i, d[aa]y d[ej]t [as]c. |
Geographical Distributions
Stemona tuberosa is found from continental Southeast Asia, Hainan and Taiwan throughout Malaysia, from the Philippines southwards to the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas and Papua.
Description
Stemona tuberosa is a hairless, perennial, herbaceous twiner which can grow up to 4(-10) m long. Its roots form a fascicle of many thick, fleshy, yellow or black tuberous roots, up to 15-20 cm long.
The leaves are arranged opposite. Those at the lower part of shoots are often alternate, ovate or broadly ovate, measure 9-20 cm x 3-14 cm, cordate at base, acuminate at apex and with 9-13 veins.
The petiole is 1.5-7 cm long and not sheathing. The stipules are absent. The inflorescence is axillary, raceme-like and (1-)2-6- flowered. The peduncle is 2-8 cm long, free or fused with the petiole. The bracts are 0.5-1.5 cm long. The flowers are 4-merous, with 0.5-3 cm long pedicel, tepals in 2 rows of 2 tepals, free, valvate, persistent, measure 2.5-4 cm x 0.4-1 cm, green or yellowish outside with dark green or purple stripes and brown or brown-red inside with red stripes. There are 4 stamens, which are 2.5-4 cm long, with short filaments, and anthers 0.8-1.5 cm long. The appendix of anthers is 5-12 mm long, with fused tips and purple.
The ovary is superior and style is absent. The fruit is a pendulous capsule, and measures 4-7 cm x 1.5-2 cm. It opens with 2 valves and is 10-20-seeded. The seed is 1-1.7 cm long, with anacumen about 4 mm long, basally inserted and dangles on a funicle 8 mm long while the base is surrounded by a vesicular aril.
Ecology / Cultivation
Stemona tuberosa is found in beach vegetations, coastal forests, undergrowths in thick scrub, primary forests along rivers and fields at low altitudes not far from the coast, on loamy soils and sandy tuff.
Line Drawing / Photograph
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1) Safety
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
