246 WILD FOOD PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



The bark yields a stout bast fiber. 



The fruit of Gnetum gnemon is red, ovoid or ellipsoid, pointed, 

 variable in size, but usually not exceeding 2.5 centimeters in 

 length. 



According to Heyne,* the young leaves, flowers, and fruits are 

 favorites for stews. He says that in Java the ripe fruits are 

 roasted and pounded while hot into thin, round cakes which are 

 cooked in boiling oil, when they puff up into a porous, crisp cake 

 called krupnk. 



GNETUM INDICUM (Lour.) Merr. (Fig. 6). 



A description of this species and its local names are given in 

 the section on fibers. 



The kernels of the fruit are eaten either boiled or roasted. 

 When freshly cut the stems yield a good quality of drinking 

 water; and the plant is commonly utilized for this purpose by 

 people in the forest, when other drinking water is not available. 



The bast is very tough and is used in making cordage. 



Family ALISMACEAE 



Genus SAGITTARIA 

 SAGITTARIA SAGITTIFOLIA L. 



Local names: Gauai-gduui (Samar) ; tikog (Camarines). 



This plant produces edible tubers. 



Sagittaria sagittifolia is a coarse herb with arrow-shaped 

 leaves. The flowers are white with a yellow center. 



This species is distributed in swamps and muddy places from 

 Luzon to Mindanao. 



Family HYDROCHARITACEAE 



Genus EN H ALUS 

 EN H ALUS ACOROIDES Steud. Lamon. 



Local names: Lamon (Tagalog, Bikol) ; mariu-bdriu (Bikol) ; pallaipat- 

 baibai (Union). 



In some parts of the Malayan region the seeds of this plant 

 are eaten either raw or cooked, but this use is not recorded from 

 the Philippines. The fruits are about the size of a large walnut 

 and contain eight or nine green seeds. 



Enhalus acoroides has ribbon-like leaves which rise from the 

 base of the plant. The flowers are borne singly on long, rather 

 slender stalks. 



* Heyne, K., De Nuttige Planten van Nederlandsch-Indie, Volume 1, 

 page 20. 



