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Tacca cristata Jack
| Family Name: | Dioscoreaceae |
| Synonyms: | |
| Common Name: | White Bat Lily, Bat Flower, Giant Bat Plant, White Bat Plant, Devil's Flower, Keladi Murai, Kelemoyang Air, 丝蒟蒻薯, 丝须蒟蒻 |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Herbaceous Plant, Creeper |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Shrubby, Irregular |
| Maximum Height | 0.6 m to 1 m |
| Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 0.6 m to 0.9 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | South and Southeast Asia, Borneo, and Java. |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Secondary Rainforest, Monsoon Forest, Mountain, Freshwater Swamp Forest) |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a herb up to 1 m tall, consisting of a horizontally-growing stem (rhizome) from which up to 13 long-stalked leaves arise. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | Its leaves are arranged in a rosette from the short stem. The leaves have rather fleshy leaf blades that are usually oblong or lance-shaped, occasionally tinged purple, and 7.5–65 by 3–24 cm. |
| Flowers | Its long-stalked flowering shoot has up to 30 flowers to up to 3.2 cm wide clustered at the stalk’s tip. Its flower consists of 3 petals, and 3 sepals that are folded backwards. They also have rabbit ear-like bracts that are up to 22 by 11 cm, and up to 27 whisker-like, white or bright green bracts. |
| Fruit | Its ribbed fruits are dark maroon berries, up to 5 by 2.5 cm, and contain numerous ovoid seeds. |
| Habitat | It grows in the understorey of primary and secondary forests up to about 1,500 m altitude. It occurs locally along Seletar Track, in Nee Soon Swamp Forest, Bukit Batok, and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. |
| Associated Fauna | Its flowers are insect-pollinated. |
| Taxonomy | Family Taccaceae previously subsumed into Dioscoreaceae under APGII (2003), but reinstated by APGII (2009). |
| Cultivation | It can be propagated by seed, or by splitting off-shoots from the main stem. |
| Etymology | Latin tacca, from the Indonesian name, taka. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Medicinal: Rhizomes used in Traditonal Chinese Medicine to treat gastric ulcers, burns and high blood pressure and burns, as well as improve sexual function. In Malaysia, rhizome paste applied to treat skin rash caused by hairy stinging caterpillars, and onto wounds or heel cracks. Pounded berries mixed with water and drank to treat dystentery and stomachaches. Leaf decoction taken orally with salt for bloody dysentery and acute diarrhoea. Overdosing results in toxicity. Cultural / Religious: Orang asli (aboriginal Malays) in Malaysia said to avoid looking into the "eyes" of the inflorescence for fear of death. Due to its almost all-black inflorescences, plant also regarded as inauspicious by the superstitious. Others: Cut stems bundled up, wrapped with leaves, and roasted to extract juice that is applied as poison to arrowheads. |
Landscaping Features
| Landscaping | This herb can tolerate most soils, and grows quite easily in pots in cool, moist, shaded areas. |
|---|---|
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Foliage |
| Landscape Uses | Container Planting, Flowerbed / Border, Focal Plant, General, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Interiorscape/ Indoor Plant |
| Thematic Landscaping | Naturalistic Garden |
| Usage Hazard - Cons | Toxic Upon Ingestion |
| Plant & Rootzone Preference or Tolerance Remarks | pH 5.1 - 5.5 |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Abiotic (Self-Pollinated), Biotic (Fauna) (Carrion Insects (Carrion Fly, Carrion Beetle)) |
|---|
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Semi-Shade, Full Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Lots of Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Acidic (low pH) Soils, Moist Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Fertilizing | Use slow-release fertilizers. |
| Propagation Method | Seed, Storage Organ, Division |
| Propagule Establishment Remarks | Seeds can take about 1 year to germinate. |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Rosulate / Rosette |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Lanceolate, Elliptical, Oblong) |
| Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acuminate |
| Foliar Base | Cuneate |
| Typical Foliar Area | Notophyll ( 20.25cm2 - 45 cm2 ) |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 3.5 (Shrub & Groundcover - Monocot) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Acaulescent |
|---|---|
| Root Type | Underground (Fibrous Root) |
| Specialised Storage Organ(s) | Underground (Rhizome) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Brown, Purple |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Terminal |
| Flower Symmetry | Bilateral |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Black, Purple |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Fleshy Fruit , Berry |
Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 1197 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 2490 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
