Pining

Overview

Hornstedtia conica is native to South-East Asia. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. The fruit can be consumed fresh and has a slightly sour sweet taste, it can also be made as sweets. This species is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. It also has benefits for health. The rhizome is strongly aromatic and generally contains essential oils that have been reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It has been widely used in traditional medicine by people of Dayak Tribes of Central Kalimantan (Indonesia).

Vernacular Names

No found data on this. Need further research.

Agroecology

It can be found in lowland and hill forests, favouring moist soils. Prefers semi-shade to full shade areas. Requires high humidity to grow well.

Morphology

• Stem- pseudo stem.
• Leaves - swollen at base (where attached to the rhizome). Mature pseudo-stems dull olive green flushed with faint tinge of red, pale green- white spotted, with longitudinal ridges on the surface. Pseudo-stems of juvenile leaves light yellowish green, flushed with red. Petioles of leaflets hairy, hairs on older leaves appearing black. Leaflets to 40cm in length, mid green on upper surface. Under surface of leavesdull light green, soft hairy; mid rib raised, conspicuously hairy; leaf margin dull maroon-red, with a fringe of soft hairs. 
• Flower - inflorescence to 10(-12)cm in length; bracts bright reddish purple, mottled with white on up to 3/4 of the surface of the bract. Flowers borne towards the top of the inflorescence; lip bilobed, to 2(-2.5)cm in length, bright pink, median stripe on lip pink, flushed with white towards the throat, with a bright rose-pink band on either side of the median stripe. 
• Fruit - the fruiting spikes resemble an onion, 4-5 cm in diameter, containing several fruits. The ellipsoid, compound, berry-like, fruits are around 3 cm long and 2 cm wide.
• Seed - the cluster of seeds in the fruits is surrounded by a silvery slimy cover, the whole tasting pleasantly acid, black, obconical seeds, 2 mm long, covered with a silvery aril.

Cultivation

• Generatively proagated by seed.
• Vegetatively propagated by division.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, triterpenoids/steroids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, quinones, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• People of Dayak Tribes in Central Kalimantan used in traditional medicine as anti-tumor.
• It is used in the treatment of chronic diseases (such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression), treats injuries and infections.
• Studies have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities.