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Useful Tropical Plants

Molineria capitulata

(Lour.) Herb.

Hypoxidaceae


This species is sometimes treated as Curculigo capitulata (Lour.) Kuntze. See http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:64141-1, accessed 11/01/2021

+ Synonyms

Curculigo capitulata (Lour.) Kuntze

Curculigo fuziwarae Yamam.

Curculigo glabra Merr.

Curculigo recurvata W.T.Aiton

Curculigo strobiliformis D.Fang & D.H.Qin

Leucojum capitulatum Lour.

Molineria hortensis Britton

Molineria plicata Colla

Molineria recurvata (W.T.Aiton) Herb.

Molineria sulcata Kurz

Tupistra esquirolii H.Lév. & Vaniot

Veratrum mairei H.Lév.

Common Name: Palm Grass

Molineria capitulata
Plants grown as an edging
Photograph by: tanetahi
Creative Commons License
Molineria capitulata Molineria capitulata Molineria capitulata Molineria capitulata

General Information

Molineria capitulata is a stemless, evergreen perennial plant producing a cluster of leaves from a thick, rhizomatous rootstock; it can grow around 100cm tall[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a food, medicine, and for the fibre obtained from its leaves[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to Australia and Solomon Islands.

Habitat

Primary and secondary forests, shady and moist places; usually at elevations from 800 - 2,200 metres, occasionally as low as 300 metres[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Perennial
Height1.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the humid tropics, it can also be grown in the humid subtropics and in essentially frost-free, warm temperate areas[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Requires a fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].Succeeds in semi-shade and also in deeper shade[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is often grown as an ornamental in the tropics and has the potential to become a weed. It has a tendency to spread and establish itself, and is rather well naturalized in the cemetery at Retalhuleu and in the Jardin Botanico in Guatemala[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
]. The whitish to green fruit is around 10 - 15mm long[
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
].

Medicinal

The fresh leaves and tuber are ground to a paste and mixed with heifer urine and then taken orally to treat diarrhoea
and dysentery[
1932
Title
Ethnomedicinal plants used for diarrhea by tribals of Meghalaya, Northeast India
Publication
Pharmacognosy Reviews, July-December 2011, Vol 5, Issue 10, 147-154
Author
Laloo D. & Hemalatha S.
Website
http:// 10.4103/0973-7847.91108
Publisher
 
Year
2011
ISBN
0973-7847
Description
 
]. (As Molineria recurvata)

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the leaves[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
451
Title
Flora Malesiana Series 1
Publication
 
Author
Various
Website
http://www.archive.org
Publisher
Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
]. It is used to make false hair[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Division of the rootstock[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Offsets[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-13. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Molineria+capitulata>

Comments

piet ruijters 21st March 2016 6:16
interesting article: PROSEA vol 17 (fibre plants) p 118-120 by M.Brink.
(Brink M. 2003 Curculigo Gaertn. In: Brink, M. and Escobin, R.P. (ed.) Plant Resorces of South-East Asia.
Bogor,Indonesia.

The plant contains curculin,in intersting protein.
I (Piet R.) believe this protetein has much in commem with miraculine in Synsapalum dulcificum (Schum. & Thonner) Baillon,
(Sapotaceae).
piet ruijters 21st March 2016 6:30
I make a few mistakes in my comment: apply correction: intersting -> interesting; commum-> common

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