Flagellaria indica (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
- Family: Flagellariaceae
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: rotan dapit (eastern Sumatra), kokrok (Javanese), owar (Sundanese)
- Malaysia: rotan dini, rotan tikus
- Philippines: anuad (Ilokano), arayan (Tagalog), huay (Bisaya)
- Cambodia: phdau â'nda:ëk, phdau sva:
- Thailand: waai yep chaak, waai ling, waai lie
- Vietnam: củ khác (Ha Nam Ninh), (dây) giay vọt (Binh Tri Tiên), mây vóc (Ho Chi Minh).
Distribution
Tropical Africa, Sri Lanka, tropical South-East Asia (throughout Malesia), Taiwan, northern Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia.
Uses
The stems, either entire or split, are used for tying, basket-making and stitching thatch, but they are considered inferior to rattan. In New Britain (Papua New Guinea) the stems serve as anchor ropes. The lower, more woody part of the stem is made into walking sticks. In the Philippines stem and rhizome decoctions are considered diuretic, while in India leaves and flowers are used. Young leaves and stems, pounded in coconut milk, are made into a hair wash. The leaves are also considered astringent and vulnerary. In New Guinea a solution of crushed stems is taken for stomach problems, and the leaves are eaten to induce infertility.
Observations
A perennial climber, 2-15 m long; stem striated, glabrous, woody at base, rarely branched. Leaves distichously alternate, simple, sessile; leaf sheath terete, enclosing the node; blade oblong to linear, up to 48 cm × 7 cm, base rounded, margin entire, apex cirrhose (ending in a coiled tendril), glabrous, venation unicostate parallel. Inflorescence an erect panicle; flowers sessile, apetalous, bisexual; tepals erect, ovate-rounded, 2-2.8 mm long, thinly membranous, white; stamens and stigmas far exserted. Fruit a drupe, subglobose, about 6 mm in diameter, pink, 1(-2)-seeded. F. indica is usually found in light forest, forest borders, along forest roads and in disturbed open forest up to about 1600 m altitude. Flowering and fruiting is year-round. The plant contains hydrocyanic acid, and a flavonoid glycoside has been isolated from the root, stem and leaves.
Selected sources
6, 19, 20, 37, 45, 47, 50, 71, 74, 102, 107, 115, 138, 140, 150, 160.
Authors
M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch
