Accession Data:
Tacca leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze
- Common Name: Polynesian Arrowroot, Pia
- Family: Taccaceae Dumort.
- Country of Origin: Trop. Old World to Pacific
- Habitat: open forests also extending into rainforests
- Description: [syn Tacca pinnatifida]
An herbaceous, aroid-like plant dying back to a large, rounded subterranean tuber. the large spreading leaf is divided onto three main branches, each bearing a number of broad, ovate to rounded lobes. The leaves may be up to 45cm across and are carried on a fleshy stalk to 80cm tall. Small, rounded, greenish-purple flowers are clustered at the end of a fleshy stem to 90cm tall. This cluster is surrounded by large, greenish bracts. Long, thread-like filimanets hang from between the flowers. The fruit are yellow and fleshy.
A common species of open forests also extending into rainforests.
- Uses: The raw starch was used in water for diarrhea and when mixed with red clay for dysentery. The starch was also applied to wounds to stop bleeding.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Plant Uses are for informational purposes only. EEB Greenhouses assume no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plants referred to on this site. Always seek advice from a professional before using any plant medicinally.
- Culture: Plants like a protected, but fairly brightly lit situation. They need an abundance of water while in active growth (Nov-Mar in southern hemisphere) and should be kept fairly dry when dormant.
Accession Data:
- Accession # 199700062
- Source: Dewey Fisk - Aroid-L
- Accession Date: 09-30-1997
- Bench: 1209 - AUS:Ground Bed 1 SE
- Currently: active - healthy
- Qty: 2 confirmed on 10-05-2024
Classification:
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Liliopsida
- SubClass: monocots
- Order: Dioscoreales
- SubOrder:
- Family: Taccaceae
- SubFamily:
- Tribe:
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Flowering Data:
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References (internal):
- Edible Plants
- Root Vegetables - Bulbs
- Medicinal Plants - Traditional African Medicine
- Domesticated Plants of Austronesia
- EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Benin / Burkina / Gambia, The / Ghana / Guinea-Bissau / Guinea / Ivory Coast / Liberia / Mali / Nigeria / Niger / Senegal / Sierra Leone / Togo / Burundi / Central African Republic / Cameroon / Congo / Equatorial Guinea / Gabon / Zaire / Chad / Ethiopia / Sudan / Kenya / Tanzania / Uganda / Angola / Malawi / Mozambique / Zambia / Zimbabwe / Comoros / Mauritius / Madagascar / Seychelles / Bangladesh / India / Laccadive Is. / Maldives / Sri Lanka / Andaman Is. / Cambodia / Laos / Myanmar / Nicobar Is. / Thailand / Vietnam / Borneo / Jawa / Lesser Sunda Is. / Malaya / Maluku / Philippines / Sulawesi / Sumatera / Bismarck Archipelago / New Guinea / Solomon Is. / Northern Territory / Queensland / Western Australia / Fiji / Gilbert Is. / New Caledonia / Samoa / Tokelau-Manihiki / Tonga / Vanuatu / Wallis-Futuna Is. / Cook Is. / Marquesas / Pitcairn Is. / Society Is. / Tuamotu / Tubuai Is. / Caroline Is. / Marianas / Marshall Is. /
References (external):
- The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Accessed 26 February 2015.
- WCSP (2015). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Accessed 26 February 2015.
- Mala La'au: A Garden of Hawaiian Healing Plants Web Site Rainforest Plants of Australia, D.L. Jones, 1986
data regenerated on Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:00:02 -0500 [bcm v4.0]
Images:
Additional images for this accession:
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Current Accessions in the Taccaceae
W/C = Wild Collected
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days