Tropical Plant Research

Tropical Plant Research

An International Journal by Society for Tropical Plant Research

ISSN (E): 2349-1183 ISSN (P): 2349-9265
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2015, VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1Pages: 58-63

A note on Aroids Ethnobotany in Hau River, Vietnam

Duong Minh Truyen*, Mashhor Mansor and Amir Shah Ruddin
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Abstract:
Araceae family is the member of Order Arales. This family is best characterized by flowering plants, which have inflorescence in the spadix. Nowadays, Araceae becomes the most familiar plants to humans and also catogarized as an economic group. A large amount of Araceae has been largely planted, especially in Vietnam, a densely populated country. In Mekong Delta of Vietnam, the demands of using aroid species are increasingly popular. An investigation into use values of Araceae is conducted along Hau River, one of two largest branches of Mekong River in Vietnam. Households living along river banks are interviewed through questionnaires. From the result, there are 18 species of Araceae which role as decorative and ornamental plants such as Dieffenbachia maculata, Anthurium andreanum and Aglaonema nitidum. Another six species are cultivated as food plants for human as same as for feeding cattle, such as Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma. In medical field, 10 aroid species are used by locals, but some treatments have not been scientifically verified. Only five species been used for feeding cattle.
Some aroid species: A, Colocasia esculenta; B, Typhonium trilobatum; C, Colocasia gigantea; D, Caladium bicolor.

Fig.: Some aroid species: A, Colocasia esculenta; B, Typhonium trilobatum; C, Colocasia gigantea; D, Caladium bicolor.


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