Freycinetia Gaudich. (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Freycinetia Gaudich.

Family: Pandanaceae

Major species and synonyms

• Freycinetia javanica Blume, synonyms: F. lucens Ridl., F. montana Ridl.

• Freycinetia scandens Gaudich., synonyms: F. gaudichaudii R. Br. & Benn., F. gonocarpa Moore, F. mulleri Martelli.

Vernacular names

• F. javanica : Indonesia: lolo cacing (Sundanese), rotan kubu (Palembang), kepah belehang (Bangka).

• F. scandens : Indonesia: ojod sodomenek, singsim (Javanese), meyong tandang (Sundanese).

Distribution

Freycinetia contains about 180-200 species and is found from Sri Lanka, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (but not the rest of India), throughout South-East Asia to Taiwan, Australia (Queensland), New Zealand and the Pacific. The highest species density is observed in Borneo, the Philippines and New Guinea. F. javanica occurs in southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Borneo. F. scandens is one of the most widely distributed species in the genus and occurs from Java and Sulawesi to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia (Queensland).

Uses

Prop roots of Freycinetia are used to make high-quality ropes, sometimes after retting. The split prop roots of F. javanica are sought after because of their strength. Old prop roots of F. scandens form strong but not very durable tying material for fences and domestic use. In the Moluccas they are first placed in water to soak off the prickles and to increase suppleness. In the South Pacific, inflorescences of Freycinetia species are used as emergency food.

Observations

Dioecious, woody lianas, usually with clasping, adventitious, aerial roots. Leaves simple, linear or lanceolate, densely crowded, sheathing at base and sheath usually with membranous, caducous margins (auricles). Inflorescence terminal, consisting of peduncled spadices which usually number 2-5 combined into an umbel or short raceme and initially enclosed by several, crowded, green or coloured spathes which fall off after anthesis; perianth absent; male spadix consisting of crowded simple stamens on a rachis, sometimes also with pistillodia; female spadix consisting of crowded pistils on a rachis, each with 1-12 stigmas, sometimes also with small staminodes. Fruit a red, yellow or white syncarp, usually consisting of berries with a hardened apex and a fleshy lower part, many-seeded.

• F. javanica . A climbing shrub, often clothing entire trunks, with stems 5-15 m long, about 1 cm in diameter. Leaves linear to elliptical-lanceolate, 12.5-25 cm × 1-3 cm, thick-coriaceous, nearly unarmed, auricles colourless, 3-6.5 cm × 1 cm. Inflorescences often 2, approximate, the second placed on a short, leafy branch; spadices usually 3; male spadix cylindrical, 2-3 cm long, peduncle 1 cm long; female spadix 2.5-5 cm long, peduncle 6-15 mm long, stigmas 4-8. Fruiting spadices 5-7 cm long, berries 1-1.5 mm long, flesh yellowish.

• F. scandens . A climbing shrub, stems terete, up to 15 m long, internodes up to 2 cm long, diameter up to 1 cm. Leaves not very closely crowded, linear to obovate, 8-10 cm × 1-2.7 cm, thin coriaceous, nearly unarmed, auricles colourless, up to 3 cm long. Spadices 1-4; male spadix cylindrical, peduncle about 2 cm long; female spadix ovoid-cylindrical, up to 6 cm × 2.5 cm, peduncle up to 2.5 cm long, stigmas 2-3. Fruiting spadices 3-6 cm long, berries clavate, 6-7 mm long, red-brown.

Within F. javanica two varieties have been distinguished: var. javanica and var. expansa B.C. Stone, the latter with broader leaves. Freycinetia is generally considered to be dioecious, but the breeding system seems more complex, as hermaphrodite individuals have been found for some species, including F. scandens . Monoecious individuals of F. scandens have been found to be self-compatible. Unlike in the related genus Pandanus Parkinson, apomixis is absent in Freycinetia . Pollination is effected by vertebrates such as flying foxes, smaller bats, squirrels and birds, which tend to be destructive. The seeds are probably dispersed by birds, bats, flying foxes and other vertebrates. F. javanica occurs in humid forests, commonly montane, at altitudes up to 2000 m. In West and Central Java F. javanica is found between 700-1600 m altitude and in Palembang (Sumatra) at 200 m altitude. F. scandens occurs in Java between 150 and 1200 m altitude. In Australia it is locally common in rain forest up to 1000 m altitude, frequently along streams and river banks. F. angustifolia Blume (syn. F. malaccensis Ridl.), occurring in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Philippines, has no recorded use as a fibre plant, but its Malaysian vernacular name "rotan musang" suggests use for cordage as well.

Selected sources

6, 20, 32, 33, 71, 81, 102, 138, 145, 172, 173, 180, 181.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch