Pothoidium lobbianum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Pothoidium lobbianum Schott

Family: Araceae

Vernacular names

• Philippines: baralta (Tagalog), balong-kahinai (Bisaya), ariman (Ibanag).

Distribution

Sumatra, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, the Philippines and Taiwan.

Uses

In the Philippines the lignified, tough central cylinder of the stem is used for binding (e.g. as tying material for fish corrals) and basketry, in the same way as other Araceae such as Pothos species.

Observations

A herb climbing by roots, with hanging flowering branches. Leaves distichously alternate, up to 17 cm × 3 cm, with oblong, flattened petiole resembling blade, joined to much shorter true blade by constricted articulation. Flowers in a spadix borne in a terminal branching system, with or without spathe, usually unisexual; male flowers with 3-6 stamens; female flowers with 1-celled ovary. Fruit an ellipsoid to ovoid, red berry. P. lobbianum occurs in humid, primary and secondary, lowland forest.

Selected sources

19, 45, 62, 110, 115, 150.

Authors

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