Lasia

Overview

Lasia (Lasia spinosa) is native to tropical Asia, from India to New Guinea, including South-East Asia, occasionally cultivated. Plants are typically harvested from natural environments, and often cultivated for family use. It belongs to the Araceae family, where most members contain crystals of calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate, however, is quickly broken down by either cooking the plant thoroughly or by drying it entirely, and it is healthy to eat the plant in either of these states.

Vernacular Names

Ci yu (Chinese), Laksmana (Sanskrit), Mulasari (Tamil), Pak norm (Laos), Geli-geli (Malaysia), Phak naam (Thai), Rau mớp, Mớp ráy gai (Vietnamese).

Agroecology

Present in the wild in tropical and subtropical areas at low to moderate elevations. It grows in shallow waters and swampy soils, often grown in fish ponds and rice fields. It can grow less than 1,500 m asl and soil pH is 6.1 to 7.8.

Morphology

• Stem - long creeping and stoloniferous, erector ascending, 2.5 cm in diameter, internodes with stout prickles.
• Leaves - rosette, simple, lanceolate, sagittate, or pinnatipartite, thorny along the veins, 30-45 cm long, up to 25 cm wide; petiole 20-50 cm long.
• Spathe - twisted, opening only at the bases, 15 to 30 cm long, brown or purple.
• Spadix - cylindrical, up to 6-8 cm long and 3-3.5 cm wide; peduncle thorny.
• Fruit -  berryobovoid, muricate at the top, 1 cm long.
• Seed - 5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide.

Cultivation

Propagation is by dividing the rootball, rhizomes, tubers, corms, or bulbs (including offsets) and through seeds. 

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, tannins, phenol, flavanoid, steroids, saponins, glycosides, askorbic acid, α-carotene, ß-carotene, ß-carotene-5, 6, 5/, 6/ diepoxide, 5, 6, 5/ 6/-diepoxy-5, 8, 5/,8/-tetrahydro-ß, ßarotene-3,3/ -diol, Cis-neoxanthin.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• In Bangladesh, the plant is recommended for intestinal disorders, rheumatism, and colic. The corm is used as a therapy for throat disorders.
• In India, the young tender leaves and stalks are used to treat intestinal worms'  infections and demonstrate profound anticestodals efficacy. Furthermore, leaves are used for stomach aches and other pains. The rhizome is used for the treatment of lung inflammation, bleeding cough, and the whole plant in the uterine. 
• In Sri Lanka, the juice of the rootstock is given as a remedy for piles, hemorrhoids. Black Lasia is used as a treatment for chemical poisoning, hemorrhoids, and pistula. 
• In Vietnam, the plant is used as an anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory remedy.
• In China, rhizomes are used medicinally for treating tuberculosis of lymph nodes, swollen lymph nodes, stomach, snake and insect bites, injuries, and rheumatism.