Lakshadweep Twisted Arum
Campaigns Published
Campaigns Unpublished
No Content Unpublished
Scientific name
Anaphyllum wightii
English Name
Lakshadweep Twisted Arum
Malayalam name
കീരിക്കിഴങ്ങ്
Common name
Lakshadweep Twisted Arum ,Wight's Twisted Arum.
Description
- Habit : Herb
- Habitat : tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
- Leaves : long,large, erect leaf stalks growing up to 60–150 cm tall
- Flowers : deep brown to purple spathe that characteristically twists
- Fruits : globose,They change from green when young to shades of orange or reddish-orange as they fully mature.
Uses
Antidote, Skin aliments
Parts used
Rhizomes
How to use
- Antidote for Snake Bites : the rhizome paste as an antidote to treat venomous snake bites.
- Skin Ailments : The underground creeping rhizome (stem) is harvested, crushed, and prepared into topical pastes (lepa) to treat contagious skin disorders like eczema and scabies.
Propagation & Cultivation
It is primarily propagated by dividing its underground rhizomes or by sowing its mature seeds during the post-monsoon season. Cultivation requires mimicking its native tropical rainforest, meaning it thrives best in deep shade, high humidity, and moist, organic-rich, well-draining soil. Because it is a rare, endemic species highly sensitive to climate changes and habitat loss, it is rarely grown commercially and is instead cultivated primarily in botanical gardens and specialized conservation centers within the Western Ghats.
