Biology:Alocasia fornicata

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Short description: Species of flowering plant

Alocasia fornicata
Alocasia fornicata 03.jpg
Alocasia fornicata 04.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Genus: Alocasia
Species:
A. fornicata
Binomial name
Alocasia fornicata
(Kunth) Schott
Synonyms[1]

Colocasia fornicata Kunth

Alocasia fornicata is a plant species of many-nerved, broad-leaved, rhizomatous or tuberous perennials from the family Araceae, native to Indochina and to the Indian Subcontinent.[1] It characteristically grows 2' - 3 ' in height with slightly pink petiole, triangular wide shaped leaves and a horizontally growing stolon.[2][3][4][5]

The plant's spadix is collected and cooked in North East India n states of Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura where the plant is known locally as Baibing in Mizo. Alocasia affinis is also consumed. Both are a much favored seasonal vegetable.

The plant, including the spadix, contains needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate known as raphides that are believed to be a defense mechanism against plant predators[6] that can tear and damage the mucus membranes of the throat or esophagus.[7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. Ara, H. (2001). An Annotated Checklist of Aroids of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 8(2): 19-34.
  3. Govaerts, R. & Frodin, D.G. (2002). World Checklist and Bibliography of Araceae (and Acoraceae): 1-560. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  4. Boyce, P.C., Sookchaloem, D., Hetterscheid, W.L.A., Gusman, G., Jacobsen, N., Idei, T. & Nguyen, V.D. (2012). Flora of Thailand 11(2): 101-325. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.
  5. Choudhary, R.K., Srivastava, R.C., Das, A.K. & Lee, J. (2012). Floristic diversity assessment and vegetation analysis of Upper Siang district of eastern Himalaya in North East India. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 42: 222-246.
  6. Arnott, H.J., M.A, Webb (2000). Twinned Raphides of Calcium Oxalate in Grape (Vitis): Implications for Crystal Stability and Function. International Journal of Plant Sciences 161(1):133–142.
  7. Outbreak of Food-borne Illness Associated with Plant Material Containing Raphides. Informa Healthcare.

Wikidata ☰ Q4734105 entry