The diversity of aroids (Araceae) in Bogor Botanic Gardens, Indonesia: Collection, conservation and utilization

Abstract

Yuzammi. 2018. The diversity of aroids (Araceae) in Bogor Botanic Gardens, Indonesia: Collection, conservation and utilization. Biodiversitas 19: 140-152. Bogor Botanic Gardens is an ex-situ conservation centre, covering an area of 87 ha, with 12,376 plant specimens, collected from Indonesia and other tropical countries throughout the world. One of the richest collections in the Gardens comprises members of the aroid family (Araceae). The aroids are planted in several garden beds as well as in the nursery. They have been collected from the time of the Dutch era until now. These collections were obtained from botanical explorations throughout the forests of Indonesia and through seed exchange with botanic gardens around the world. Several of the Bogor aroid collections represent ‘living types’, such as Scindapsus splendidus Alderw., Scindapsus mamilliferus Alderw. and Epipremnum falcifolium Engl. These have survived in the garden from the time of their collection up until the present day. There are many aroid collections in the Gardens that have potentialities not widely recognised. The aim of this study is to reveal the diversity of aroids species in the Bogor Botanic Gardens, their scientific value, their conservation status, and their potential as ornamental plants, medicinal plants and food. The methods of the research include direct observation in the garden and nursery collections, analysis of the Gardens’ long-term registration database, as well as herbarium studies in both the Herbarium Bogoriense and the Gardens’own herbarium. A total of 130 species of aroids belonging to 36 genera have been cultivated in the Bogor Botanic Gardens. It is estimated that the gardens has 29% of the total number of genera in the world (21 genera are native to Indonesia). The aroid collection consists of terrestrial plants, aquatic plants and climbing plants (61 species, 12 species and 57 species, respectively). Amorphophallus paeoniifolius has developed further as a food plant. Genera such as Aglaonema, Alocasia, Apoballis, Rhaphidophora and Scindapsus have long been used as ornamental plants. Futhermore, some Homalomena species can be extracted for essential oils, while Epipremnum pinnatum has application in the treatment of cancer. Descriptions of some endemic, rare and high value species are discussed in this paper.

Short communication: Diversity and ethnobotany of Araceae in Namo Suro Baru Village, North Sumatra, Indonesia

“…Bhat et al (2012) Tubers are made into a paste and then applied to the joint to cure pain Kambe et al (2014) Tubers are made in various forms (paste and boiled) and then applied to the skin to cure various diseases etc. breast tumors, itching, and physical injuries Similar prospects were also acknowledged by Yuzammi (2018), who documented some Araceae in Bogor Botanic Gardens, Indonesia, for example, Alocasia, Aglaodorum, Aglaonema, etc. Mutaqin et al (2018) Meanwhile, the dominant species of the site, X. sagittifolium, is consumed as an additional food due to its palatable tuber.…”

“…This family occupies a wide variety of habitats, including forest understory, river banks, open swamp areas, and even relatively dry areas. Although Araceae is highly diverse in Indonesia, the potential for their collections for conservation and economic purposes has not been fully explored (Yuzammi 2018). Subsequently, Araceae consists of many species that can be used to provide food, medicine, ornaments, and other needs for Indonesians.…”

The local knowledge and potential of suweg (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) in the Citanduy and Cimanuk watersheds of West Java, Indonesia

“…Various altitudes will affect air temperature, humidity, rainfall, number of rainy days, oxygen level, light intensity, and soil characteristics (Ohmura 2012;Al-Ahmadi and Al-Ahmadi 2013;Ceballos et al 2021). Suweg has a growing environment with a diverse range (Yuzammi et al 2017). Mukherjee et al (2014) report that the genus Amorphophallus is divided into two groups relating to climatic conditions: the tropical and the sub-tropical.…”

Elucidation of the Radiosensitivity Level of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson Embryogenic Callus Induced by Gamma Ray Irradiation

“…It has been previously reported that the tuber and other plant organs of A. paeoniifolius can be used as a source of medicine [2][3][4][5] or a raw food material [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Besides having a high potential utilization as both a medicine and food, the productivity of this crop is relatively high at approximately 50-80 ton ha −1 [13].…”