Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)

Kapuk randu or Java cotton or silk-cotton or kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a plant species in Malvaceae, famous for the fruit that creates a snow-like atmosphere with scattered fibers, growing below 500 m above sea level and 1500 rainfall -2500 mm/year.

C. pentandra grows to as high as 60-70 m, tree trunks 3 m in diameter, tree bark brownish green, roots spread horizontally from the ground surface. Stems soar singly without branches or can also be branched and often also found thorns.

The fruit is a source of fiber for mattresses, pillows, clothing, heat insulation and sound proofing. The dried skin of the fruit can be used as fuel. The seeds contain oil which is used as a lubricant, lamp oil and energy raw material.

Cultivation plants generally only grow up to 10-30 m. Tree fruiting first at 4-5 years and economic age up to 60 years. Indonesia produces kapok fiber around 80,000 tons per year and Thailand 40,000-45,000 tons.

Leaves, flowers and young fruit can be eaten. Plants have biomedical potential that has not been much researched. The leaves are commonly used to treat diarrhea, skin disorders, sedatives and pain relievers. Buds to treat asthma.

The leaves produce organic compounds including phenolic 174 mg/g, alkanoid 4.54 mg/g, flavonoids 26 mg/g, tannins 0.48 mg/g, saponins 1.55 mg/g, phytic acid 0.15 mg/g, TUI (trypsin inhibitor) 14.54 mg/g, HUI (hemagglutinin inhibitor) 9.65 mg/g, oxalic acid 0.1 mg/g, palmitic acid and linoleic acid.

Fiber can be used as a hydrophobic-oleophilic absorbent material for cleaning oil spills. Raw fibers are compacted to form packs with a density of 0.02g/cm3 to absorb diesel compounds, hydraulic lubricants (AWS46) and engine lubricants (HD40) of 36, 43, and 45 grams/pack.

This absorbance performance is significantly better than polypropylene (PP) compounds which can only absorb 8-10 grams/pack of fiber for the three compounds. This potential is the basis for increasing cottonwood production and triggering recycling of waste production.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Ceiba
Species: C. pentandra

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Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri)

Porang or iles-iles (Amorphophallus muelleri) is a plant species in Araceae, the leaves are pseudo stems with a height of 40-180 cm and a diameter of 1-5 cm, tubular, green with irregular white patches, each branching point grows bulbil colored brown and yellow tubers.

A. muelleri has pseudo stems and leaves that are bright green to dark green and have greenish white patches. The surface of the stalk is smooth, while the leaves are smooth wavy. Ellipse-shaped leaves with pointed tips.

When flushing has 3, 4-5, 5-6 and finally 6 minor leaf strands with 3 small leaf stems. Young leaves have edges that are light purple, green and will end yellow with a width of 0.3-0.5 mm. Canopy has a width of 50-150 cm.

Stems grow on tubers with a diameter of 25-50 mm and height 75-175 cm. The color of the tuber is brownish or beige on the outer surface and brownish on the inside, rather oval and stringy roots, weight 450-3350 grams, fine tissue, 4-5 months dormant period and 35-55% glucomannan content.

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Anzac flower (Montanoa hibiscifolia)

Anzac flower (Montanoa hibiscifolia) is a plant species in Asteraceae, shrubs up to 6 meters high, rarely branched, terete stems with a soft sponge-like center, growing wild along forest boundaries, waterways and disturbed lands.

M. hibiscifolia has a row of leaves arranged opposite, stem length 1-17 cm, terete, has hair, length 9-42 cm, width 4-25 cm, base of round heart shape, irregular jagged, ciliated, has five to seven lobes, accumulating at the apex, the upper surface is dark green and the lower surface is pale green.

The flowers of the discs have 2-6 cm long stems, panicle cymose, many in the terminal and branching. The green crown turns yellow and 4 cm wide. Small achenes, 0.3-0.5 cm long, reddish brown, apex gland and four angles.

Anzac flower fills the savanna vegetation, river banks, ditches, rainforest edges, road sides, neglected and disturbed lands. Interesting white flowers and leaves are often used for living fences and ornamental plants.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheoph…

Cornstalk dracena (Dracaena fragrans)

Drasena or cornstalk dracena (Dracaena fragrans) is a species of flowering plant in Asparagaceae, a shrub that grows slowly, is very adaptive and inhabits in altitude regions of 600-2250 m, multistemmed at the base, up to 15 m high or higher with narrow, upright and slender crowns.

D. fragrans has a round stem with a diameter of up to 30 cm, young plants have a single stem and are not branched with a rosette of leaves to the ends, producing two or more new stems with subsequent flowering episodes.

Lanceolate leaves, 20-150 cm long, 2-12 cm wide, green overall or yellow vertical stripes follow the bone trench in the middle for some varieties, shiny, upright young leaves to spread and larger leaves droop due to weight.

The flowers in panicles are 15-160 cm long, individual flowers have a diameter of 2.5 cm with a six-lobed corolla, are pink and open white with the center having a red or purple line on each lobe for 7-12 mm, very fragrant and popular with pollinating insects.

The berries …

Dlium

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