Orchidantha fimbriatum (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Orchidantha fimbriatum Holttum
- Protologue: Gard. Bull. Sing. 25: 243 (1970).
- Family: Lowiaceae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Synonyms
Orchidantha longiflora auct. non (Scort.) Ridley.
Vernacular names
- Malaysia: lobak hutan, lebok hutan (Peninsular).
Origin and geographic distribution
O. fimbriatum is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia.
Uses
Scorched leaves of O. fimbriatum are recommended to relieve pains in the chest and back. The leaves are sometimes used for wrapping food in cooking.
Botany
A perennial herb with a thick root, creeping rhizome and short, erect or suberect stems, often with lateral branches and then tufted. Leaves distichously alternate, simple and entire, elliptical, up to 100 cm × 15 cm, undulate at margins, with longitudinal veins joined with numerous fine cross-veinlets; petiole long with sheath up to 30 cm long at base. Inflorescence a terminal series of sympodially connected paracladia, each producing a single flower, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, large, 3-merous, short-lived; sepals narrowly oblong, 11-14 cm × 2 cm; lateral petals short, up to 3 cm long, creamy with dark purple base and apex, median one (labellum) large, 10-12 cm × 5 cm, creamy white with dark purple-brown base; stamens 5, free, c. 2.5 cm long; ovary inferior, 3-celled, prolonged into a solid structure, style c. 2 cm long, with deeply 3-lobed, fimbriate stigma c. 2.5 cm long. Fruit an elongate loculicidal capsule c. 8.5 cm long, many-seeded. Seeds c. 1 cm long, hairy, with a lacerated aril.
The flowers are located near the soil and have an unpleasant odour. They last 1–2 days. It has been observed that tree shrews feed on the nutritious tissue in the central part of the labellum. Pollination by scarabaeid dung beetles has been observed in the Bornean O. inouei Nagamasu & Sakai, which possesses flowers with a dung-like odour.
Orchidantha comprises about 10 species and is restricted to tropical Asia: Indo-China, southern China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. It is the single genus of the family Lowiaceae .
Ecology
O. fimbriatum occurs in the undergrowth of lowland forest, often in wet locations at the base of mountains, and is locally common.
Genetic resources
Although locally common, O. fimbriatum is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia and occurs there in a habitat that is under pressure, i.e. lowland, humid rain forest. All Orchidantha species have a very restricted distribution and should be considered liable to genetic erosion.
Prospects
Application of O. fimbriatum in traditional medicine is very limited and it is unlikely to increase.
Literature
121, 364.
Other selected sources
806.
Main genus page
Authors
R.H.M.J. Lemmens
