Elephant's Ear

Overview

Native to southeastern Asia, through to Australia and the western Pacific islands, this plant is cultivated in tropical regions throughout the world for a range of uses, including the production of timber, firewood, traditional medicinal products, and shade. It is also used as an ornamental and in reforestation.

Vernacular Names

Hairy mahang (English), Mahang puteh (Malaysia), Binunga (Tagalog-Philippines), Hu chang lek (Thailand), Bach dâu nam (Vietnamese), Sedaman buta buta (Brunei), Tutup ancur, hanuwa, mara (Indonesia), Tabu (Papua New Guinea).

Agroecology

A tropical and subtropical plants, where is found at elevations up to 2,100 m. Usually found at very disturbed vegetation like scrub or abandoned shifting cultivation areas, often along roads, logging areas, or along streams. It prefers a sunny area. Grows wild on clay loam, sandy, and sandstone soils but prefers a well-drained soil. Mean annual rainfall: 1000-2800 mm, Mean annual temperature: 10-30 C.

Morphology

• Barks - surface smooth or rough with lenticels, hoop-marked, stripping off easily, greyish to pinkish.
• Leaves - arranged spirally, simple, often prominently lobed, palmately or pinnately veined, the main veins joined by parallel, concentric veinlets giving the effect of spider-webbing, often peltate.
• Flowers - axillary, paniculate inflorescences, male flowers minute, many in a cluster, with 5-6 stamens, female flowers few in a cluster, with a subovoid, glandular.
• Fruits - leathery or woody, often shouldered capsule, smooth to variously spiny, splitting into 2-valved parts leaving the central column, few-seeded.
• Seeds - black, often with a thin orange to red aril, 5 mm in diameter.

Cultivation

By seeds - when sown with the adhering pulp, the seed have a germination rate of about 50% in 24-72 (max. 265) days. Seed viability is reputed to be poor in ambient conditions.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic, steroids, tanarifuranonol, tanariflavonona, tannins (mallotinic acid, corilagin, macarinin A, geranilin, mallotunin), terpenoids, macatanarin D.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Philippines: the powdered root is used as an emetic and a decoction also to treat haemoptysis.
• Moluccas (Indonesia) and New Britain (Papua New Guinea): the leaves have been used as an abortifacient and to treat dysentery internally.
• Peninsular Malaysia: internally, pounded leaves are used to wounds, and a root infusion is used to cure fever.
• Brunei: smoke from burning leaves is said to be a widespread disease.