Tacca palmata

Blume

Gadung tikus, Tacca

Dioscoreaceae Edible: Starch 234 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Tacca palmata is a plant in the Dioscoreaceae family, native to Borneo, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was first described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1827.

Description

A herb which has tubers and is dormant for part of the year. It grows 40 cm high. The leaves are at the base and are divided like fingers on a hand. They have 5 lobes. The leaves are 15-20 cm long. The leaf stalks is 30 cm long. The flowers are black to purple. They are nodding. The 2 main bracts are erect. There are 2 smaller bracts below. There are no threadlike bracts.

Edible Uses

The tubers are processed for starch.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It suits seasonally moist and dry climates. It needs a fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil. It needs a neutral to acid pH. It suits bright shade. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Where It Grows

Asia, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Timor-Leste,

Notes

Also put in the family Taccaceae.

Also Known As

Suweg

References (5)

Cowie, I, 2006, A Survey of Flora and vegetation of the proposed Jaco-Tutuala-Lore National Park. Timor-Lests (East Timor) www.territorystories.nt/gov.au p 55
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 638
Lembaga Biologi Nasional, 1977, Ubi-Ubian, Balai Pustaka, Jakarta. p 26
Llamas, K.A., 2003, Tropical Flowering Plants. Timber Press. p 356
Trimanto, & Hapsari L., 2016, Botanical survey in thirteen montane forests of Bawean Island Nature Reserve, East Java Indonesia: Conservation status, bioprospecting and potential tourism. Biodiversitas 17: 832-846.