Tacca

Tacca is a genus of ten species of flowering plants in the order Dioscoreales, native to tropical regions of Africa and southeastern Asia.


Some species
Tacca leontopetaloides or Polynesian arrowroot is naturally distributed from western Africa through southeast Asia to northern Australia. It was intentionally brought to tropical Pacific Islands with early human migrations.
The leaf's upper surface has depressed veins, and the under surface is shiny with bold yellow veins. Flowers are borne on tall stalks in greenish-purple clusters, with long trailing bracts. The plant is usually dormant for part of the year and dies down to the ground. Later, new leaves will arise from the round underground tuber. The tubers are hard and potato-like, with a brown skin and white interior.
Uses: The tubers of Polynesian arrowroot contain starch that was an important food source for many Pacific Island cultures, primarily for the inhabitants of low islands and atolls. Polynesian arrowroot was prepared into a flour to make a variety of puddings. The tubers were first grated and then allowed to soak in fresh water. The settled starch was rinsed repeatedly to remove the bitterness and then dried. The flour was mixed with mashed taro, breadfruit or Pandanus fruit extract and mixed with coconut cream to prepare puddings. In Hawaii, a local favorite is haupia, which was originally made with pia flour, coconut cream and sugar.Today, Polynesian arrowroot has been largely replaced by corn starch.The starch was additionally used to stiffen fabrics, and on some islands, the stem's fibers were woven into mats.
In traditional Hawaiian medicine the raw tubers were eaten to treat stomach ailments. Mixed with water and red clay, the plant was consumed to treat diarrhea and dysentery. This combination was also used to stop internal hemorrhaging in the stomach and colon and applied to wounds to stop bleeding.

Tacca palmata

Tacca flabellata

Tacca plantaginea

Tacca integrifolia

Tacca integrifolia

Aciphylla

Aciphylla is a genus of about 40 species of plants in the Apiaceae family, endemic to New Zealand and Australia. They generally grow as tall spikes surrounded by rosettes of stiff, pointed leaves.

Yushania

Yushania is a genus of bamboo always of the family Poaceae and now of the woody bamboo tribe Bambuseae and the supertribe Bambusodae which have both been experiencing many name changes. The species of Yushania are evergreen, spreading,... more >>>

Elettaria

Elettaria is a genus of one or two species of cardamoms, native to southeastern Asia from India south to Sri Lanka and east to Malaysia and western Indonesia, where it grows in tropical rainforests.

Some authorities treat the... more >>>

Galtonia

Galtonia is genus of plants,in the family Hyacinthaceae; native to South Africa they are named after Sir Francis Galton. Galtonia candicans, also known as Cape Hyacinth, is much propagated as a garden plant. Another species is the pale green... more >>>

Veratrum

Veratrum is a genus of coarse highly poisonous perennial herbs of the Melanthiaceae family. In English they are usually known as the False hellebores. Members of Veratrum are known both in western herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine as... more >>>