| Etymology | Genus | After Juan Ignacio Molina, a 19th century Chilean botanist and priest |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Wide leaves | |
| Family | Hypoxidaceae | |
| Synonyms | Curculigo latifolia Dryand. ex W.T.Aiton, Molineria longiflora Kurz | |
| Common Names | Palm Grass, Weevil Lily | |
| Status | Native: Vulnerable | |
| Form | Herb | |
| Native Distribution | India, Myanmar, Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Borneo, Java | |
Diagnostics:
Molineria latifolia is a herb growing up to 1m high with recognisable palm-like leaves. The leaves are simple, long and broad. Numerous hairs can be seen on the leaves, a feature that distinguishes Molineria latifolia from another similar-looking species, Molineria capitulata. Bright yellow flowers appear on the base of the plant.
Interesting Facts:
The sweet, edible fruits help stimulate the appetite and contain the chemical neoculin, a sweet-tasting protein that has taste-modifying activity to convert sourness to sweetness. (Lim, 2012)
Habit of Molineria latifolia, as seen at Macritchie Nature Trail.
The leaves have hairs on the surface.
Parallel venation on a leaf.
The yellow flowers appear at the base of the plant.
Close-up look of the yellow flowers.
References
TK Lim. (2012) Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 4, Fruits. pg 59-64. Springer Science & Business Media, Germany. 1023 pp.
Author: Ethan
Posted: 2022-01-29 / Modified: 2022-02-04