Typhonium roxburghii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Typhonium roxburghii Schott

Protologue: Aroid. 2: t. 17 (1855).

Family: Araceae

Synonyms

• Arum diversifolium Blume,
• Typhonium divaricatum Blume (1834; nom. illegit.),
• Typhonium trilobatum auct., non (L.) Schott.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: trenggiling mentik (Javanese), ileus (Sundanese), bira kecil (Moluccas)
• Malaysia: birah kechil, keladi puyoh (Peninsular)
• Vietnam: củ chóc ấn dộ.

Distribution

Southern India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Lesser Sunda Islands and the Moluccas; introduced in the Philippines (Luzon), Papua New Guinea (Lae), Vietnam, Taiwan, eastern Africa (Zanzibar) and Brazil.

Uses

It has been reported from Indonesia that the corms are edible after several boilings. However, they are very acrid and cause swellings on tongue and lips. Medicinally, the corms are used against eruptions on the skin and their sap is used against yaws.

Observations

• Herb, 10-45 cm tall, with subglobose corm up to 3.5 cm in diameter and rooting at the top.
• Leaves usually shallowly trilobed, up to 18 cm long, usually broader than long, petiole up to 30 cm long.
• Inflorescence a spadix; peduncle up to 10 cm long; spathe 30 cm long, limb dark red to purple inside; spadix with pistillate part 0.5 cm long, sterile part 1 cm long covered with acicular downturned rudiments, naked interstice 1.5 cm long, staminate part 1 cm long, appendix 8-15 cm long and dark red.
• Fruit a 1-2-seeded berry.

T. roxburghii occurs in grassland, roadsides, gardens and open forest, often in humid localities, up to 1000 m altitude, usually scattered.

Selected sources

121, 245, 324, 334, 680. medicinals

3, 13, 15, 20, 32, 37, 40, 65. carbohydrates

Main genus page

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Authors

• Wongsatit Chuakul, Noppamas Soonthornchareonnon & Orawan Ruangsomboon
• L.E. Groen, J.S. Siemonsma & P.C.M. Jansen