Hornstedtia scottiana (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Hornstedtia scottiana (F. v. Muell.) K. Schumann

Family: Zingiberaceae

Synonyms

• Hornstedtia lycostoma K. Schumann.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: potmon, golobe da sawala, goloba kusi (Moluccas).

Distribution

Indonesia (Moluccas, Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Australia (Queensland).

Uses

Seed clusters are eaten raw or candied. Seeds have the flavour of ginger. Rhizomes are eaten as a vegetable.

Observations

• Robust perennial herb, up to 4 m tall.
• Leaves lanceolate, 40-65 cm × 8-10 cm.
• Flowering spikes subsessile, elliptical-fusiform, 4-5 times longer than wide; flowers red.
• Fruit berry-like, with white seeds.

Common in rain forests on moist soils.

Selected sources

• Cribb, A.B. & Cribb, J.W., 1987. Wild food in Australia. 2nd ed. Fontana/Collins, Sydney. 284 pp.

• Schumann, K., 1904. Zingiberaceae. In: Engler, A. (Editor): Das Pflanzenreich. Heft 20. 458 pp.

• Valeton, Th., 1921. Hornstedtia Retz. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique, Buitenzorg, Série 3, Vol. 3: 150-179.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen