Grammatophyllum scriptum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Grammatophyllum scriptum (L.) Blume

Protologue: Rumphia 4: 48 (1849).

• Indonesia: anggrek boki, bunga putri, saya ngawa (Moluccas)
• Philippines: tawa-tawa (Tagalog).

The Philippines, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Cultivated in Java.

In the Moluccas a paste made of the pseudobulbs together with a little Curcuma and salt water has been applied to sores, to the abdomen to expel worms, and to treat dropsy and aphthae. The seeds were mixed with food against dysentery. The plant is cultivated as an ornamental.

A large herb with pseudobulbs of c. 25 cm × 7 cm, 3-5-foliate; leaves 40-70 cm × 6-10 cm; inflorescence erecto-patent to drooping, up to 190 cm long including the peduncle up to 90 cm long, up to 50-flowered; flowers 7-8 cm in diameter, tepals pale green or yellowish with dark brown blotches, lip dark brown-violet streaked. In New Guinea G. scriptum often grows on trees along beaches and lagoons, and in coastal forest and coconut plantations.

62, 334, 760, 1006.

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Diah Sulistiarini