254 WILD FOOD PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



in times of scarcity, this plant is utilized to a slight extent as 

 human food. 



The petioles of Amorphopallus campanulatus are rough and 

 mottled. The blades are divided into numerous lobes. The 

 "flower" is dull purple and up to 30 centimeters in diameter. 

 It emits a very offensive odor, similar to that of putrid meat. 

 This odor attracts flies, which pollinate the plant. 



This species is widely distributed at low and medium altitudes 

 in the settled areas of the Philippines. 



Genus CYRTOSPERM A 

 CYRTOSPERMA MERKUSII Schott. Palauan. 



Local name: Palauan (Bisaya) ; galidng (Bikol). 



The large, starchy rootstocks are eaten when food is scarce, 

 and in some regions are a staple vegetable. 



Curtosperma merkiisii is an herbaceous plant with very large 

 leaves and large, purplish "flowers". The petioles are up to 

 2.5 meters in length and 10 centimeters in diameter. The leaves 

 are up to 1.5 meters in length. 



This species is found in the central and southern Philippines, 

 in wet ravines. It is also grown to a limited extent in the Visa- 

 yan Islands and is quite commonly cultivated in Camarines. 



Genus PI ST I A 

 PISTIA STRATIOTES L. KlAPO. 



Local names: Aluluan (Cagayan) ; dagailo (Agusan) ; darahiro, daraido, 

 darai7*6 (Bikol); kaydpo (Bisaya); loloan (Iloko) ; kidpo (Tagalog). 



This plant is sometimes used for feeding hogs. For this pur- 

 pose it is boiled, to destroy the minute, stinging crystals which 

 are very abundant in the leaves. It is never cultivated in the 

 Philippines. Ridley states that in Singapore it is commonly 

 grown in small ponds by the Chinese, who use it for feeding hogs. 

 Mercado states that it can be used with soap for removing stains 

 from clothing; and that vessels which have contained oil can 

 be cleaned and purified by filling them with water and kiapo 

 plants, allowing this mixture to remain in the vessel a few days, 

 and then scrubbing the interior with the plant. 



Pistia stratiotes occurs in great abundance on the surfaces 

 of stagnant water and slowly moving streams. The leaves are 

 produced in a rosette, which gives the plant an appearance some- 

 thing like that of ordinary lettuce. 



This species is common and widely distributed at low and 

 medium altitudes in the Philippines. 



