Remusatia vivipara
| Remusatia vivipara | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illustration of Remusatia vivipara | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Remusatia |
| Species: | R. vivipara
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| Binomial name | |
| Remusatia vivipara | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Remusatia vivipara also called 'hitchhiker elephant ear' is a perennial herb growing up to 50 cm tall in the genus Remusatia. It is widespread throughout the world, growing in temperate climates.
Description
Remusatia vivipara is a rupicolous or epiphytic herb that grows up to 50m tall, arising from an underground tuber around 2–4 cm in diameter and coloured vivid red. Its bulbils are scaly and ovoid, around 0.5mm long, scales ending in hooked prickles. The leaf is solitary, is broad and peltate, 10–40 cm long and 5–30 cm across, with a petiole up to 40 cm long. R.vivipara very rarely flowers. Spathe is leathery, 10–13 cm long with an ovoid tube which is green. Spadix is around 3.5 cm long, clavate and creamy white with the flowers unisexual and congested, female at base, male at tip, separated by sterile flowers in the middle.[2] Fruits a cluster of berries.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Remusatia vivipara can be found in Central and Western Africa, from Tanzania and Ethiopia to Sierra Leone; Oman, Yemen, Taiwan, Tibet, Yunnan, India, Indochina, Java and Northern Australia.[4] Remusatia viviparais can be found in subtropical forests, on rocks, cliff edges around 700m-1900m above sea level. It is epiphytic in leaf litter traps on large trees such as Ficus vasta.[5]
It rarely flowers in Asia, whilst in Africa it never flowers and there are no observations of Remusatia vivipara flowering in Arabia. However, the small bulbils that appear on the plant are readily detached and can be carried hundreds of kilometres by clinging to the feathers of birds. This accounts for the wide distribution of the species.[6]
Uses
Tubers are edible when cooked very thoroughly either by roasting or boiling to deactivate the oxalate crystals. They are eaten in Dhofar with clarified butter or buttermilk and eaten in India added to curries.[7]
Further reading
References
- ^ "Remusatia vivipara (Roxb.) Schott — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ Mayo, S. J. (1985-06-01). Flora of Tropical East Africa - Araceae (1985). CRC Press. p. 42. ISBN 9789061913221.
- ^ G., Miller, Anthony (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the southern region of Oman : traditional, economic, and medicinal uses. Morris, Miranda., Stuart-Smith, Susanna., Oman. Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment. [Muscat]: Prepared and published by the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman. p. 38. ISBN 071570808-2. OCLC 20798112.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Mayo, S. J. (1985-06-01). Flora of Tropical East Africa - Araceae (1985). CRC Press. p. 42. ISBN 9789061913221.
- ^ "Remusatia vivipara in Flora of China @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- ^ Huang, Chi-Tung; Hsieh, Chang-Fu (2014-09-01). "Asexual Bulbil Development and Diversification of Reproductive Strategy between ＂Remusatia vivipara＂ and ＂Remusatia pumila＂ (Araceae)". TAIWANIA. 59 (3). doi:10.6165/tai.2014.59.220. ISSN 0372-333X.
- ^ G., Miller, Anthony (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the southern region of Oman : traditional, economic, and medicinal uses. Morris, Miranda., Stuart-Smith, Susanna., Oman. Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment. [Muscat]: Prepared and published by the Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman. p. 38. ISBN 071570808-2. OCLC 20798112.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)