[Emergency Food Plants and Poisonous Plants on the Islands of the Pacific]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
* ‘ TM l(M20
WAR DEPARTMENT
TECHNICAL MANUAL
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE
ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC
April 15, 1943
U £ <
• U OF NT LIBRARIES 76203
3
TM 10-420
TECHNICAL MANUAL
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
OF THE
ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1943
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington, D. C,
WAR DEPARTMENT Washington, April 15, 1943.
TM 10-420, Emergency Food Plants of the Islands of the Pacific, was written by Dr. E. D. Merrill, Administrator of Botanical Collections and Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, and is published for the information and guidance of all concerned.
[A. G. 062.12 (2—22—43).]
By order of the Secretary of War:
G. C. MARSHALL,
Chief of Staff.
Official :
J. A. ULIO,
Major General, The Adjutant General.
Distribution :
IC (24).
(For explanation of symbols see FM 21-6.)
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
Section I. Purpose and scope-------------------- 1-2 1
II. Reassurance and warning-------------- 3-5 2
III. Assistance and advice of natives--- 6-8 3
IV. Miscellaneous information----------- 9-10 4
V. Edible ferns------------------------11-12 5
VI. Edible herbs_______________________ 13-14 10
VII. Edible palms_______________________ 15-16 17
VIII . Edible grasses____________________ 17-18 26
IX. Edible tubers_________________________ 19 30
X. Plants eaten as greens---------------- 20 43
XI. Edible fruits______________________ 21-22 75
XII. Edible seeds._________________________ 23 110
XIII . Poisonous plants____________________ 24 125
XIV. Plants used to stupefy fish________ 25-26 132
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Title Paragraph
1. Tree fern (Cyathea)_____________________________ 12
2. Swamp fern (Ceratopteris thalictroides)----- 12
3. Paco (Athyrium esculentum)__________________ 12
4. Stenochlaena palustris, Acrostichum aureum.. 12
5. Taro (Colocasia esculenta)______________________ 14
6. Schizmatoglottis calyptrata_____________________ 14
7. Elephant ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza)_____________ 14
8. Cyrtosperma chamissonis_____________________ 14
9. Amorphophallus campanulatus_____________________ 14
10. Sago palm (Metroxyjon)_________________________ 16
11. Salacca edulis--------------------------------- 16
12. Rattan palm (Calamus)__________________________ 16
13. Buri palm (Corypha), Fishtail palm (Caryota), Sugar palm (Arenga)_______________________________ 16
14. Coconut (Cocos nucifera)----------------------- 16
15. Nipa palm (Nipa fruticans)--------------------- 16
16. Job’s tears (Coix lachryma-jobi)--------------- 18
17. Setaria palmifolia_____________________________ 18
18. Bamboo shoots (several types)__________________ 18
19. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)----------------- 19
20. Cassava, manioc, or tapioca ( M a n i h o t esculenta)________________________________________ 19
21. Greater yam (Dioscorea alata)------------------ 19
22. Bulb yam (Dioscorea bulbifera)----------------- 19
23. Goa yam (Dioscorea esculenta)------------------ 19
24. Buck yam (Dioscorea pentaphylla)--------------- 19
25. Wild yam (Dioscorea hispida)------------------- 19
26. Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea)---------------- 19
27. Yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus)------------------ 19
28. Polynesian arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides) _ 19
29. Water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis)_____________ 19
30. Luffa cylindrica, Luffa acutangula------------- 20
31. Balsam vine (Momordica charantia)-------------- 20
32. Commelinaceae__________________________________ 20
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III
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Title ) Paragraph Page
33. Forrestia marginata____________________________ 20 47
34. Amaranthus (three species)--------------------- 20 48
35. Celosia argentea------------------------------- 20 49
36. Alternanthera sessilis------------------------- 20 50
37. Ceylon spinach (Basella rubra)----------------- 20 51
38. Pilea glaberrima______________________________ 20' 52
39. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)__________________ 20 53
40. Seaside purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum)_ 20 54
41. Boerhaavia diffusa_____________________________ 20 55
42. Solanum nigrum_________________________________ 20 56
43. Ipomoea aquatica_______________________________ 20 57
44. Ottelia alismoides_____________________________ 20 58
45. Monochoria vaginalis, Monochoria hastata___ 20 59
46. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)______ 20 60
47. Emilia sonchifolia____.____________________ 20 61
48. Erechtites_____________________________________ 20 62
49. Spilanthes acmella_____________________________ 20 63
50. Pluchea indica_________________________________ 20 64
51. Acalypha indica________________________________ 20 65
52. Acalypha wilkesiana____________________________ 20 66
53. Horseradish tree (Moringa oleifera)____________ 20 67
54. Coral tree (Erythrina variegata)___________ 20 68
55. Sesbania grandiflora______1________________ 20 69
56. Thespesia populnea_____________________________ 20 70
57. Pemphis acidula________________________________ 20 72
58. Tournefortia argentea__________________________ 20 73
59. Morinda citrifolia________.________________ 20 74
60. Cantala (Agave cantala)____________________ 20 75
61. Banana (Musa sapientum; Musa troglody-tarum)______________________________________________ 22 77
62. Papaw or Papaya (Carica papaya)________________ 22 78
63. Breadfruit (Artocarpus aitilis)_______________ 22 79
64. Jak fruit (Artocarpus heterophylla)____________ 22 81
65. Champedak (Artocarpus champeden)_______________ 22 82
66. Artocarpus rotunda_____________________________ 22 83
67. Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum); Pulusan (Nephelium mutabile)________________________________ 22 84
68. Lansone (Lansium domesticum)___________________ 22 85
69. Guava (Psidium guajava)________________________ 22 86
70. Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)________________ 22 87
71. Sweet sop (Annona squamosa)____________________ 22 88
72. Sour sop (Annona muricata)_____________________ 22 89
73. Custard apple (Annona reticulata)______________ 22 90
74. Mango (Mangifera indica)_______________________ 22 91
75. Sapodilla (Achras zapota)______________________ 22 92
76. Jambolan (Syzygium cumini)_____________________ 22 93
77. Syzygium aqueum________________________________ 22 94
78. Malay apple (Syzygium malaccense)______________ 22 96
79. Rose apple (Syzygium jambos)___________________ 22 97
80. Santol (Sandoricum koetjape)___________________ 22 98
81. Polynesian plum (Spondias dulcis)______________ 22 99
82. Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) and Carambola (Averrhoa carambola)________________________________ 22 100
83. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)___________________ 22 101
84. Cynometra cauliflora___________________________ 22 102
IV
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Title Paragraph Page
85. Pandan or Screw pine (Pandanus tectorius)— 22 103
86. Gnetum gnemon---------------------------------- 22 105
87. Bignai (Antidesma bunius)---------------------- 22 106
88. Ximenia americana_________________:------- 22 107
89. Wild tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum)----- 22 108
90. Ground cherry (Physalis (3 species))------ 22 109
91. Pangi (Pangium edule)-------------------------- 23 110
92. Polynesian chestnut (Inocarpus fagiferus) — 23 112
93. Sterculia foetida_____________________________ 23 113
94. Indian almond (Terminalia catappa)------------ 23 114
95. Candle nut (Aleurites moluccana)--------------- 23 115
96. Cycas circinalis_______________________________ 23 116
97. Kanari and pili (Canarium commune)------- 23 117
98. Lotus (Nelumbium nelumbo); water lily (N'ymphaea)_________________________________________ 23 119
99. Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)--------------------- 23 120
100. Asparagus bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolo-bus)_______________________________________________ 23 121
101. Hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab)__________ 23 122
102. Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus)_______________ 23 123
103. Peanut (jArachis hypogaea)--------------- . 23 124
104. Physic nut (Jatropha curcas)------------------ 24 126
105. Castor oil plant (Rocinus communis)----------- 24 127
106. Tree nettle (Laportea)________________________ 24 128
107. Tree nettle (Laportea)________________________ 24 129
108. Cowhage (Mucuna pruriens); (Mucuna bipli-cata), (Mucuna cyanosperma)------------------------- 24 130
109. Semecarpus____________________________________ 24 131
110. Croton oil plant (Croton tiglium)------------- 26 134
111. Derris elliptica______________________________ 26 135
112. Tephrosia purpurea---------------------------- 26 136
113. Barringtonia asiatica____________________— 26 137
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TM 10-420
TECHNICAL MANUAL
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC
Section I
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Paragraph
Purpose _________________________________________________ 1
Scope_____________________________________________________ 2
■ 1. Purpose.—The purpose of this manual is to aid the individual who becomes separated from his unit by illustrating and describing the edible and poisonous plants so that this individual can live off the land. The natives of the Malayan and Polynesian regions use parts of a great many wild plants as food, sometimes to supplement and diversify their daily diet, and sometimes as famine foods in time of scarcity. The parts used include young shoots and leaves of various herbs, shrubs, and trees, various fruits, certain seeds, some flowers and flower buds, and the tubers or starchy bulblike roots of various cultivated and wild plants. Some of these plant parts have a high food value and some are rich in vitamins.
■ 2. Scope.—a. Region covered.—This manual covers all of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, as well as the entire Malay Archipelago including the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. For all practical purposes it also covers IndoChina, Thailand (Siam), Burma, and eastern India.
b. Plants.—The more common plants that occur in reasonable abundance that may be used as food in times of emergency are included. The following have been excluded:
(1) Rare species.
(2) Plants that are familiar to residents of the temperate regions including maize or Indian corn, sorghum, rice, pineapple, cabbage, carrot, beet, garden bean, squash, cucumber, egg plant, sweet pepper, and other universally cultivated food plants.
(3) Familiar fruit trees such as the orange, lime, pomelo (one of the parents of the grapefruit), lemon, etc.
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Section II
REASSURANCE AND WARNING
Paragraph
Jungle snakes______________________________________________ 3
Poisonous plants_________________________________________ 4
Jungle pests______________________________________________ 5
E3 3. Jungle Snakes.—There is altogether too much fear of the Tropics, particularly on the part of those individuals without previous tropical experience. Thus the widespread fear of “the snake infested jungle” is an entirely imaginary picture. Poisonous snakes are absent from Polynesia. In Malaysia, they are very rare and are seldom seen. The chances of being bitten by a poisonous snake in any part of the Malayan region are very much smaller than in any part of the United States where rattle snakes and water moccasins occur.
■ 4. Poisonous Plants.—a. General.—There is no reason to fear the small number of poisonous plants in any part of Polynesia or Malaysia. The general rule is to avoid the following:
(1) Those with milky sap (except the numerous species of wild fig).
(2) All plants the taste of which is disagreeable.
b. Contact poisons.—In the Malayan and Polynesian region there are few contact poisons corresponding to our poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. However, they all belong to the same natural family of plants (.Anacardiaceae). The poisonous principle is the same and the treatment is the same as that indicated for persons coming in contact with poison ivy. In the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo where most of them occur, they are collectively known as rengas and are all small to large trees. A few of the wild or semiwild species of mango, but not the common mango, also have poisonous sap. These are sometimes cultivated or sometimes found in the forests. In the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, rarely outside of this region, they are known as kemang, lanjut, binjai, bachang, kwini and wani. Normally an individual might be poisoned
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by these species when engaged in actually felling the trees. Their poisonous properties are thoroughly well known to the natives. Curiously, the fruits of all of these wild and semiwild types of mango can be safely eaten, even when the sap is poisonous.
c. Stinging plants.—There are some types of plants, never very common, that have stinging hairs such as the tree nettles (Laportea) (par. 24d) and the cowhage (Mucuna) (par. 24e). These stinging hairs of the latter are merely mechanical irritants and are not poisonous.
■ 5. Jungle Pests.—Keep constantly in mind the fact that in all of Malaysia and Polynesia, there is almost no danger from poisonous snakes, noxious insects, spiders, and poisonous plants. The forests and jungles of the entire region are a distinctly safe place in which to operate under anything even approaching normal conditions. The malaria mosquito and the land leech are the pests to avoid whenever possible. The land leech is found only in the high forests during the rainy season, or in the areas where the rainfall is heavy in all months of the year.
Section III
ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE OF NATIVES
Paragraph
Native use of plants__________________________________________ 6
Advice of natives_____________________________________________ 7
Local names___________________________________________________ 8
■ 6. Native Use of Plants.—In all parts of the region the natives in general know both the wild and the cultivated plants which may be used as food. However, in certain sections, for example, Java, their use as food may be known but quite unknown to the natives of other islands in Malaya, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The breadfruit, which is a basic food in many parts of Polynesia, is little used as food in most parts of Malaya, where the species also occurs, simply because better foods are usually available there. A great many plants used by the natives of Java as food are quite unknown as food plants elsewhere.
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S 7. Advice of Natives.—Whenever possible, try to get in touch with natives even though one may be able to talk with them only by means of signs. They can be most helpful in times when regular rations are not available. They usually know how these emergency food plants should be prepared, and those which may be poisonous if eaten raw. In some of the actually poisonous plants the poisonous principle may be eliminated by proper cooking, or by other treatments, and the material then eaten with entire safety.
■ 8. Local Names.—In selecting recorded native plant names, no attempt has been made to indicate in what islands and by what peoples the names are used. In the area covered, there are probably in excess of 450 or 500 different languages or dialects involved. For all plants of this vast region there are probably in excess of 50,000 native plant names actually recorded; many locally used plant names are still unlisted. Some native plant names are very widely used, while others are local. Many of the plants considered have no common names in English.
Section IV
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Paragraph
Plants near the seashore_____________________________________ 9
Guide for eating fruits______________________________________ 10
■ 9. Plants Near the Seashore.—The number and variety of plants on the atolls and low islands of Polynesia and Micronesia are usually small, whether the islands be small or large, inhabited or uninhabited. Naturally, a greater variety of food plants, many of them cultivated, are found on the inhabited islands. On most islands will be found on or near the seashore such plants as the pandan or screw pine (par. 22?/), common purslane (par. 20/), seaside purslane (par. 20fc), Boerhaavia (par. 20Z), Polynesian arrowroot (par. 19?), and such shrubs and trees as Ximenia (par. 22ab), Morinda (par. 20ad), Tournefortia (par. 20ac), Pemphis (par. 20ab), Thespesia (par. 20aa), and Erythrina (par. 20?/), as well as various weedy herbs, such as Alternanthera (par. 20gd,
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Emilia (par. 20r), Amaranthus (par. 20e), Commelinaceae (par. 20c), and perhaps some other introduced weeds considered in this manual. Even on uninhabited islands is sometimes found the coconut palm (par. 16e), and the breadfruit (par. 22c), where casual visitors have planted them. Generally, the vegetation on these low islands is very simple, with very few species as compared with that of the high islands, such as Fiji, Samoa, and others, and with the individual islands of the Malayan region.
■ 10. Guide for Eating Fruits.—Keep in mind, that those cultivated trees and shrubs growing in the settled areas, in and near towns, that bear attractive fleshy fruits, for the most part are actually planted for their fruits, and that generally their fruits may be eaten with perfect safety. In the wild, where monkeys occur, a safeguard to follow is to observe what the monkeys actually eat in the form of wild fruits. The feeding habits of birds is not such a safe guide. One should keep in mind constantly that fruit maturity in the tropics is normally seasonal just as it is in temperate regions, and only occasionally, as with the coconut palm, are fruits produced throughout the year.
Section V
EDIBLE FERNS
Paragraph
Ferns in general_________________________:-------------------- 11
Specific ferns_________________________----------------------- 12
■ 11. Ferns in General.—The number of different kinds of ferns in the Malayan-Polynesian region is very great, probably exceeding 1,500 different species. Some are small insignificant, while others are relatively very large in size, including the characteristic tree ferns (par. 12). Parts of certain species of ferns are regularly used as food by the natives and these parts are often offered for sale in native markets. While the food value of the edible parts of ferns is probably relatively low, yet these parts will help sustain life when other foods are not available. In general the parts most commonly used are the young unfolding leaves, commonly spoken of as “fiddle heads;” these may be eaten either
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raw or cooked. • Some of these “fiddle heads” are too tough, and others are bitter or otherwise bad tasting. But one point may be kept in mind that, so far as known, none of the ferns is actually poisonous when eaten. In some species the young
Figure 1.—Tree ferns (Cyathea).
tender leaves ’are cooked and eaten. In general only a few of the better known or useful ferns have definite plant names, but a common collective name for all ferns in the Malay Archipelago is pako or paku.
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H 12. Specific Ferns.—a. Tree ferns (Cyathea).—Being chiefly forest ferns, tree ferns may sometimes be found in deserted clearings especially in more or less constantly wet
Figure 2.—Swamp fern (Ceratopterls thalictroides).
regions. There are many different kinds and they are often abundant and are sometimes up to 25 feet high or even more. The young leaves as they commence to uncurl, the so-called “fiddle heads,” are tender and may be eaten raw
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or cooked. The terminal tender bud or “cabbage” may also be eaten. Local names: Eki, dkii, biung, oli-oli, paoga, pdku-itam, pdkis-ddji, giro.
b. Swamp fern (Ceratopteris thalictr aides).—This fern, often occurring in great abundance, is found in very wet soil, old rice paddies, and swampy places, more or less submerged. It never occurs in salt or brackish swamps. The whole plant which is 1 to 1% feet high may be cooked and eaten as greens, or may be eaten uncooked. It is an excellent food. Local names: Pdkis-rawa, sdjor-kodok.
Figure 3.—Paco (Athyrium esculentum).
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12
c. Paco (Athyrium esculentum).—This fern often occurs in great abundance along swift-running streams, margins of rivers, and in some fresh-water swamps. It is usually about 2 feet high. The young developing leaf stalks, or
Figure 4.—A, Stenochlaena palustris; B, Acrostichum aureum.
“fiddle heads,” are an excellent food and may be eaten in quantity either raw or cooked. Local names: Pako, pdku, Pdku-sdjor, pdku-tdndjung, laminding, uta-hdu, uta-pdso, uta-wdu uta-wdsu, pdkis-wilis.
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d. Stenochlaena palustris and Acrostichum aureum.—The tender young leaves of both these ferns may be cooked and eaten. The Stenochlaena (A) (fig. 4) is a climbing fern, occurring often in abundance near the inner margins of mangrove swamps, within the influence of salt or brackish water; other species occur in the inland forests. The Acrostichum (B) is a very coarse tufted fern, varying from 2 to 6 feet high, its mature leaves being very leathery. It grows only in brackish swamps and hence always near the seashore where it is commonly abundant. Local names. (A, Stenochlaena), Diliman, giliman, lamidin, lemiding, ag-naya, hagndya, dkar-pdkis, melat, miding, pdku-ramiding, paku-limbeh, pdku-merah, pdku-udang, pdkis-vordng, we-wesu, bempesu. (B, Acrostichum). Ldgolo, langayo, hdp-pasen, sdato, lau-taputd, pdku-laut, paku-tiai, peye, piai, kerakds, kalakuk.
Section VI
EDIBLE HERBS
Paragraph
Araceae in general______________________________________________ 13
Specific Araceae_____________,__________________________________ 14
■ 13. Araceae in General.—a. These plants belonging in the calla lily family are found in the forests and in the open country, varying in size from small to very large herbs. None of the climbing ones should be used for food. Their vegetative parts are in general characterized by being supplied with myriads of minute needlelike stinging crystals of calcium oxalate that are intensely irritating when brought in contact with mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat and, in some cases, even in contact with tender skin; these microscopic crystals (and they occur in our common Indian turnip or Jack-in-the-pulpit) cause the so-called acrid “taste” of these plants, but in spite of the very intense irritation they may cause, the plants are normally not actually poisonous. In spite of the presence of these stinging crystals a considerable number of these plants are regularly eaten and several are widely cultivated for food, such as the taro (and the yautia in tropical America), and to a
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less degree the Cyrtosperma and Alocasia. In these cultivated forms, the underground part is usually greatly enlarged, forming a tuber very rich in starch; thus to a very considerable degree these tubers take the place of the common potato in the Tropics where a starchy food is needed to help maintain a balanced diet. The taro tuber in particular is a very excellent well-flavored vegetable. The taro leaves may be cooked and eaten, although the fresh leaves are abundantly supplied with the minute stinging crystals, which in the uncooked leaves are very irritating.
b. In general, when considering any of the numerous species of this family as food (other than the tubers of the taro), one should keep constantly in mind the usual presence of these microscopic stinging crystals of oxalate of lime and avoid putting any part of the raw plant into the mouth. The application of heat breaks down these stinging crystals so by thoroughly cooking the plant parts that are abundantly supplied with these very irritating needlelike crystals they may be safely eaten. However, in most cases, the first “taste” of the cooked aroid should be on the basis of a very small quantity, and if irritation results the material should be cooked for a longer period of time.
S 14. Specific Araceae.—a. Taro (Colocasia esculenta).— This is one of the most commonly cultivated food plants in Polynesia, and also in the Malayan region, usually grown in wet lands. The many varieties are usually 1 x/2 feet high. The tubers are rich in starch and may be eaten in quantity, either boiled or roasted. They are an excellent substitute for the potato. The young leaves are commonly eaten as greens, but as they contain very many minute stinging crystals they must be thoroughly boiled before eating, as the application of heat destroys these irritating crystals. Local names: Tao, tdlo, taro, tale, talas, tales, tdleh, tdlos, tdleus, kdlo, sune, gdbi, kelddi, kuladi, etu, lumbu, sukat, ambdrgo, sauhat, gete, bete, kudjang, Idle, loee, loeh, malau, bolang, gelo, lomak, ole, kole, kore, korei, wongkai, alddi, tdlok, pdtjo, suli, ronan, gwdi, ketu, etu, hdkar, wdkal, man, inano, inane, gehut, kdlen, mom, warimu, hekere, buge, mengkodo, kemb, kom, komo, dildgo.
516614°—43---2
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Figure 5.—Taro (Colocasia esculenta).
b. Schizmatoglottis calyptrata.—This low smooth herb grows as high as 2 or 3 feet, and its flowers are usually yellowish-green, or the upper part is white. It occurs in moist shady places, especially in rocky soils, in forests, sometimes in thickets, and often near streams. All parts of the plant may be cooked and eaten. Local names: Njampon, wewehan, solempat, salimpar, sdjor-babi, kesesi, tunak, apau, gogu-awa, bdbu-banga, apalayi.
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c. Elephant ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza).—A very large plant growing in the forests and in open places, the elephant ear sometimes lacks a well-defined trunk, sometimes with a
Figure 6.—Schizmatoglottis calyptrata.
fairly tall trunk, and is often common and sometimes cultivated. It varies in height from 3 feet to as much as 12 feet. The juice is very acrid, due to the presence of thousands of
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tiny needlelike crystals of oxalate of lime. In contact with the nose and mouth they cause the most intense pain. In times of emergency the softer parts of the trunk, which contains considerable starch, may be cooked and eaten. Some varieties are much more irritating than others.
Figure 7.—Elephant ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza).
Warning: Do not eat unless first cooked very thoroughly with two or three changes of water. Whenever possible, seek the advice of informed natives who know how to prepare the plant parts as food. Local names: Tadmu, fdga, lace, sapukin, via-mila, via-gdga, drdmu, piga, ta’dmu, ape, kape, papao-apaka, papdo-atulong, aba, badiang, biga, abdba, bira, bio, sente, kidwa, kei, lawira.
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Figure 8.—Cyrtosperma chamissonis.
d. (Cyrtosperma chamissonis).—This is a very large plant growing only in fresh-water swamps or swampy places more or less in the open. The leaf stalks are more or less covered with short spines. Sometimes it is cultivated. The large underground part is rich in starch, but is to be eaten only when thoroughly cooked, either boiled or roasted. Local names: Galiang, palau, palduan, baba, bur a, pur aka, bur aka, mdota, puld’a, ape, dpe-veo, via-kdna, opeves, lack.
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e. Amorphophallus campanulatus.—This plant, often common, has large flowers ((A, flg. 9) a foot or more in diameter appearing before the leaves (B). The flowers are purplish and mottled and have the odor of decaying meat.
Figure 9.—Amorphophallus campanulatus.
It is found in open places, near thickets, etc., and is sometimes cultivated. The characteristic leafy stem (B) is usually about 3 or 4 feet high. The tender, young, rather rough and grayish-mottled leaf stems may be eaten, but only after cooking. The large tuber is rich in starch, but it contains innumerable minute stinging needlelike crystals which
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A
B
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 14-15 are intensely irritating to mucous membranes. Warning: The large tuber should never be eaten except after prolonged cooking. Long cooking breaks down the stinging crystals. If possible, consult informed natives before using this as food. Local names: Pungapung, teve, daiga, ddga, mdlree, suweg, kernbang-bdngah, kembang-banke, dtjung, ileus, bddur, ba-dul, iles-iles, ileus, wdlur, dtjung, tjumpleng.
Section VII
EDIBLE PALMS
Paragraph
Palms' in general_____________________________________________ 15
Specific palms________________________________________________ 16
■ 15. Palms in General.—a. There are a great many different palms in Malaysia and in Polynesia. They vary greatly in size and in habit. Some are very tall climbers, such as the rattan palms, others low and almost shrubby, and still others are gigantic in size. Some species grow along the seashore within the influence of the salt water, such as the nipa palm, some in open country, others in the secondary forests and thickets, and still others in the high forest.
b. Representatives of several genera (Corypha, Arenga, Caryota, Metroxylon) store up great quantities of starch in their trunks (par. 16). This starch is entirely used up by the plant when it produces flowers and fruits, after which the plant dies. This starch is a valuable food, that from Metroxylon (par. 16a) being the commercial sago. The starch from all of these palms is used for food. The palms are felled, split, the softer inner parts of the trunk crushed, and the starch washed out into troughs to settle. The water is then drawn off and the wet mass which dries is almost pure starch. The usual way of utilizing this starch for food is to make it into cakes which are then baked or roasted. The trunks of Caryota, Metroxylon, and Arenga are not large and can be manipulated rather easily; that of Corypha is gigantic, up to 3 feet in diameter, and the outside is very hard. In attempting to extract starch from any of these it is always best to enlist the services of natives. In any case select the trunks of palms that have not flowered, or, better, those that are just commencing to produce flowers.
17
15
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
c. In times of real emergency portions of the starch-bearing softer inner parts of these palm trunks may be cut into pieces which are then roasted or even boiled, after which the starch can be “chewed out” of the fibrous mass that forms the inner parts of the trunk. Its food value is high.
d. In general the terminal bud or “cabbage” of most palms is edible and may be eaten raw, boiled, or roasted. This palm “cabbage,” except in those cases where it may be too bitter, is an excellent vegetable. This bud or “cabbage” is the actual growing tip of the trunk and is found deep in the terminal crown of leaf stalk bases.
e. In the climbing rattan palms (par. 16c), which are particularly abundant in the high forests and of which there are many different species, the terminal bud or “cabbage” is edible; in many species the lower foot or so of the small trunk contains considerable amounts of starch. In cases of emergency these lower parts may be cut off, roasted over a fire, and the starch then “chewed out.” The abundant small fruits of some of the species may be eaten, but the pulp is acid and scanty.
f. Very excellent, clear, tasteless or nearly tasteless drinking water may be obtained from the very long stems of the rattan palms. Cut the stems into about 6- to 8-foot lengths and hold these upright; the water will flow in a small stream from the lower end. In a short time the flow will stop and when this happens cut about a foot off the top end, and the flow will commence again. Repeat until all of the water is obtained. The rattan palms are all high climbers, mostly very spiny on the leaf stalks and leaves and with long slendei’ whiplike spiny appendages, the spines forming characteristic sharp claws. The very long slender stems are smooth and of the same diameter throughout. The stems vary from 10 or 15 feet to several hundred feet in length.
g. Except for the coconut palm and a very few others, the fruits of most of the Old World palm species are not edible. In fact, those of Ar eng a and Caryota are very dangerous as they are charged with myriads of minute needle-shaped stinging crystals that cause intense pain when in contact with nose or mouth or even the tender skin. Warning: In testing palm fruits as to edibility, try only a very small quan-
18
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
15-16
tity first. If immediate intense pain results, this means the presence of microscopic stinging crystals. Among the palms it is chiefly in the fruits of Caryota and Arenga that these intensely irritating stinging crystals occur, and one should never attempt to eat the fruits of these particular palms (par. 16d).
■ 16. Specific Palms.—a. Sago palm (Metroxylon).—This palm is found chiefly in fresh-water swamps and is one of the very few palms growing in such places. The tree is
19
c
A
D
E
/b
Figure 10.—Sago palm (Metroxylon).
16
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
usually 25 to 30 feet high and smooth and very spiny forms occur. The trunk contains great quantities of starch which is the commercial sago and which is a basic food for the natives in many parts of Malaya. (A) (fig. 10) is a full-grown palm; (B), a young palm; (C), a palm past maturity in fruit, the starch in the trunk all used up by plant; (D) flower and fruit bearing parts and a mature fruit; (E), lower part of a leaf of the spiny form. For brief dis-
Figure 11.—Saldcca edulis.
20
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
16
cussion of method of extraction of the starch, see paragraph 15. The terminal buds or “cabbage” may be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Local names: Rumbla, rambla, pohon, sdgu, lumbal, lumbiag, bulung, kersula, resula, humbia, bdi, bdir, lipia, ripia, lapia, ndwia, tesdrak, beri, no, inomo, huda, ambolong, bdgsang.
Figure 12.-—Rattan palm (Calamus).
21
A
16
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
&. Salacca edulis.—This is a tufted, spiny, almost stemless palm which grows up to 15 feet high. It bears round, brown fruits which are covered with scales. The yellowish white, sour-sweet, edible pulp surrounding two or three rather large hard seeds may be eaten raw. The immature fruits may also be cooked and eaten. Normally this palm is not founi in forests but usually is planted. Local names: Sdlak, buah-sdlak, hdkam, tusum, seekumai.
c. Rattan palm (Calamus').—There are many different kinds of rattan palm and they are found chiefly in the high forest. They are all climbing palms. The leaf stalks and growing parts are very spiny; the stems are smooth and vary in size from the thickness of a pencil to 2 inches in diameter. They are often several hundred feet long. The leaf tips are greatly extended and supplied with numerous very sharp, hard, clawlike teeth. The small growing point or “cabbage” of most species is edible. In many species the lower foot or two of the trunk ((A), fig. 12) is slightly thickened and contains some starch; these lower parts may be roasted and the cooked starch “chewed out.” The stems yield excellent drinking water (see par. 15).
d. Buri palm; fishtail palm; sugar palm.—All of these palms, like the sago palm, store up great quantities of starch in the softer inner parts of their trunks which may be used as food. (See par. 15.) The tender buds or “cabbage” of all may be cooked and eaten. All of these occur in open lands and in secondary forests; the fishtail palm occurs also in the high forest. The buri palm is recognized by its enormous size, often 50 feet high, its great fan-shaped leaves, and their very stout spiny leaf stalks; the fishtail palm by the shape of its leaves; and the sugar palm by its very long feather-shaped ascending leaves, the lower parts of the leaf stalks where they join the stem with many very long black stiff hairs. Local names: (Corypha): Buri, gdwang, gebang, silar, silal, tildda, tali, siger. (Caryota): Anibong, batikan, pugdhan, takipan, genduru, andudu, ramisi, dni, pdlun, bdru, (Arenga): Kaong, kabo-negro, hidiok, idiok, irrok, hdnu, dren, dnau, semdki, daluku.
22
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
16
OlUOTi >14
Figure 13.—A, Buri palm (Corypha, a young palm at the left); B, Fishtail palm (Caryota); C, Sugar palm (Arenga).
e. Coconut (Cocos nucifera).—This plant is one of the most commonly cultivated palms throughout Polynesia and Malaya. The large terminal bud or “cabbage” is one of the very finest vegetables, and may be eaten in quantity, either raw or cooked. The nut yields the very best drinking water that is available anywhere, while the meat may be eaten in
23
B
A r
A'
E>' '!
16
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
Figure 14.—Coconut (Cocos nucifera).
any stage of development. Local names: Nu, ni, niu, nius, nihau, niweur, niel, igo, nizok, niog, hardnibir, ardmbir, ohi, kaldpa, njejong, njur, njir, Idngai, ongat, tdpo, niuka, bdnga, bongo, kaluku, utiri, turiri, niyog, noe merau, efo, epoh, bdku, krdmbil, krdmbir, tuwaloh, keldmbir, vdte.
f. Nipa palm (Nipa fruticans).—This palm occurs only along tidal streams and back of the mangrove swamps where it is always within the influence of salt or brackish water.
24
ftiMU Mt
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
16
Figure 15.—Nipa palm {Nip a fruticans).
In favorable habitats it sometimes covers hundreds of acres. It is a stemless palm, the part corresponding to the trunk creeping in the mud and sending up several long leaves. The normal height is about 15 feet. The solitary, dark, brown round heads of fruits are about 1 foot or more in diameter. The large white seeds may be eaten when immature; in young stages they somewhat resemble the meat of the coconut. When fully mature the seed is very hard, and if eaten
25
0N
16-17
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
at all in this stage should be finely grated or crushed. Local names: Nipa, ipah, saripi, parenga, dimor, lataf, sanenem, hira, wera, song, kopere, tdmu, bobo, boboro, salipi.
Section VIII
EDIBLE GRASSES
, Paragraph
Grasses in general______________________________ _ _ 17
Specific grasses _______________________ZZZ-ZZZZZZZ_____ 18
■ 17. Grasses in General.—a. To this family belong all of cur cultivated cereals, such as rice, wheat, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, maize or corn, etc. Rice, millet, sorghum, maize, and several other cereals are extensively cultivated in the Tropics, but one does not find rye, wheat, oats, and other cereals so characteristic of the temperate regions. The bamboos are all grasses, and the young shoots of most of these (and there are many kinds in Malaya) may be cooked and eaten with safety (see par. 18c). The cultivated sugarcane is a grass. Its juice is rich in sugar, and thus has considerable food value. A wild species of sugarcane, a coarse, haish-leafed grass 4 to 10 feet high, or even taller in rich soil, is veiy common and widely distributed in open valley lands. The flower-bearing parts are white, and make the species very conspicuous. It sometimes occupies large areas and scarcely needs a description. This is known as taldhib, geldgah, gldgah, kdso, tebu-sdla, tatebau, tebiu, tigbau, bogang, kldgah, tlengdt, kenu, sdraw, hepu, dalina, djodo, and siuhu. The hearts of the young shoots are frequently eaten raw or cooked, and are even sold in the markets of Java. The very young flowering parts, while still inclosed in the upper leaf-sheaths, may be cooked and eaten, while the roots may be peeled and eaten and taste somewhat sweet like the cultivated sugarcane.
b. Some of the wild grasses allied to millet, such as our common barnyard grass, have fairly large seeds, and these are produced in abundance; they may be gathered, the seeds rubbed out of the chaff, and either boiled or roasted. While the seeds of the wild grasses are much smaller than those of our cultivated cereals, nevertheless they are perfectly safe to eat, and are actually used by the natives in times of food shortages. (See figs. 17 and 18.)
26
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
18
Figure 16.—Job’s tears (Calx lachryma-jobi).
B 18. Specific Grasses.—a. Job’s tears (Coix lachryma-jobi).—This is coarse grass, usually 2 to 3 feet high, often abundant in open places, never found in forests. The very hard, white, shining “fruit” contains one to several fairly large seeds which may be eaten raw, boiled, or roasted. There is one form (dele, jelai, salea, lahja, hadjeli, iriule, sali, sari, rore, lore), with very thin-walled brownish “fruits,” fre-
516614°—43-
27
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
18
quently cultivated for its seeds. Local names: Adlai, kudldsan, jelai, jelai-bdtu, andidlai, sila, sdna-sdna, sdnga-sdnga, bilen, pu-pu, maniu-niu, perdra, salea-utan, hadjere,
Figure 17.—Setaria palmifolia.
bukehang, tataokok, tie, lole, bdree, kalide, karisi, klumba, gelem, sdlea, takokok.
b. Setaria palmifolia.—This is a coarse grass, 2 to 6 feet high, with broad, prominently nerved leaves and very numer-
28
Hi sp be Pl
OlU«N
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
18
ous flowers. It is usually abundant in old clearings, partly shaded ravines, old plantations, and along forest borders. The hearts of the young shoots or stout plants ((A), fig. 17) may be eaten raw or cooked, and these are often sold in the
Figure 18.—Bamboo shoots (several types).
native markets of Java. The very numerous small seeds (the species being allied to Italian millet) may be gathered and boiled or roasted; these are used as a famine food in the Philippines and elsewhere. Local names: Luluwan-kebo,
29
18-19
QUARTERMASTER corps
tjewdhan, sahuen, yang-meyangan, wuluhan, lintabueng, jang-ujdngan, mese-mae, lakar, esa-esa, wdru-wdri, sowa-sowane, agusdis, asdhas, hagusais, dumbug.
c. Types of bamboo shoots.—There are many different kinds of bamboo in Malaysia and a few in Polynesia. They occur often in great abundance in the open country and in the jungles and forests. The young shoots appear from near the bases of the older stalks and their growth is very rapid. All of them may be cooked and eaten when young, although in a few species the shoots are too bitter to be palatable. The surrounding, often hairy sheaths, are removed and the more or less tender inner parts are cut into small pieces and boiled, or the whole shoot may be roasted.
Section IX
EDIBLE TOBERS
Paragraph
Edible tubers________________________________________ 19
K 19. Edible Tubers.—a. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas').— The sweet potato is widely cultivated throughout the Qld World Tropics as a staple article of food. It may be identified' by its pink flowers or the shape of its leaf. In addition to the edible tubers (these may be eaten raw or cooked), the young shoots and leaves make an excellent pot herb or substitute for spinach. Local names: Kamote, kumdra, ubi-djdwa, batata, petdtas, gddong, gddung, eba, piek, kepileu, gowi, katila, ketela, kesela, kastena, kastela, pildoe, pelo, tela, sdbhrang, hiwu-djdwa, watdta, bdge, atetela, wui-tutu, uwi, lame-djdwa, kandora,-ufi-sina, sane, nom-metai, bloini, uru, urlau, uwi-kastela, mdngat, ddso, rdnso, mue, sabakruwa, ningoi, kdv, gumi, gumini, bowon, ima, kdpu.
30
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
19
Figure 19.—Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas).
b. Cassava, manioc, or tapioca (Manihot esculenta').—A plant widely cultivated in the Old World Tropics and is the commercial source of tapioca. It is a shrubby plant 3 to 5 feet high. The large roots are rich in starch. Warning: The two varieties, bitter cassava and sweet cassava cannot be distinguished by any characteristic other than by taste. Bitter cassava is poisonous when eaten raw. Cooking elimi-
31
19
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
Figure 20.—Cassava, manioc, or tapioca (Manihot esculenta).
nates the poisonous principle (in this case hydrocyanic acid), but with bitter cassava it is best to crush the root thoroughly and wash the starchy mass with several changes of water. Never eat bitter cassava raw, but only after it has been thoroughly cooked. Local names: Kamote-kahoy, kdsbi, ka'sawe, mandioka, maniota, mandka, maniota-aipi, men-dioka, ufi-laau, yuka, iiftladu, ebae, kikohak, ketila, gddung-
32
v •
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
19
Figure 21.—Greater yarn (Dioscorea alata).
kaoe, ubi-inggris, ubi-kddju, batdta-kdju, bistungkel, huwi-dangdeur, sdmpeu, tjdpeu, kasdpen, kasibi, kdsbi, kaspini, kdspe, ketela-pung, sikong, menjok, sdwi, mandardsi, pangdla, tasibie.
c. Greater yam (Dioscorea alata).—This is a twining vine, common in cultivation, and sometimes growing wild. The stems are ridged or with narrow wings. The yams vary
33
19
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
Figure 22.—Bulb yam (Dioscorea bulbifera).
enormously in shape and size, sometimes rather small, sometimes weighing up to 30 pounds. The flesh varies from white to purple. An excellent food boiled or roasted. Local names: Ubi, uhi, uft, ui-pdrai, uvi, uwi, huwi, heri, heli, lame, lutu, gusu, dago.
d. Bulb yam (Dioscorea bulbifera).—This twining vine has smooth stems. It grows in thickets, and is sometimes cultivated. Usually fairly large, round, rather hard bulbs are
34
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS IQ
in the leaf axils. Warning: While the axillary bulbs and the yams may be eaten when properly prepared (see g below), they should never be eaten unprepared, as they are definitely poisonous. Seek the advice of informed natives if possible as to how the tubers should be treated. Local names: Huwi, buwah, gembolo, kambubu, ahuhu, ohuhu, kapupu, pulugan, hoi, vi, soi, abardka, vdti, ndm.
Figure 23.—Goa yam (Dioscorea esculenta).
e. Goa yam {Dioscorea esculenta).—This spiny and twining vine is cultivated, also often found wild in thickets. The
35
19
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
yams vary in shape but are usually not very large. They are distinctly well flavored, and may be eaten boiled or roasted. Like those of the greater yam they need no special treatment, as they are never poisonous. Local names: Gembolo, gembeeli, sudo, kaburan, huwi-ldndak, kdwai, tugi, tungo, dago, hoi-tia, nika, sdhu, sidfu, sidpu, sidwu, sajdwu, kapugu, isdhu.
Figure 24.—Buck yam (Dioscorea pentaphylla).
36
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
19
re d.
t, o, o, u,
f. Buck yam (Dioscorea pentaphylla).—This is a climbing, twining vine, the leaves usually with five parts, the stems smooth or with short scattered spines. It is sometimes cultivated, but more commonly found wild in thickets. Sometimes there are small bulbs in the leaf axils. The yams vary in shape and are usually not very large. They may be eaten boiled or roasted. Local names: Ubi-pdsir, ubi-sunda,
Figure 25.—Wild yam (Dioscorea hispida).
37
1*1 M|
19
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
kdtak, huwi-putri, susuan, rabet-sosean, pda, pilita, pirita, patora, paaudra, utau, lima-lima, sdpong.
g. Wild yam (Dioscorea hispida).—This is a climbing, rather woody, spiny vine; the leaves have three parts. It usually grows wild in thickets, and is rarely cultivated. The yams vary considerably in shape and size. Warning: These yams are definitely poisonous and should not be used for food unless properly prepared; seek the advice of natives whenever possible. The yams should be cut into very thin slices,
Figure 26.—Arrowroot (Mar ant a arundinacea).
38
(,
r :t .e :e d
5,
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 19
coated with ashes if possible, and then soaked in streams or in salt water for 3 or 4 days, after which they should be dried in the sun. After prolonged treatment they may be cooked and eaten, but great caution is necessary. Local names: Nami, gadoong, huwi-gadgoong, kdpak, gddu, sikdpa, bitule, sidpa, boti, lei, hafule, hajuru, kdlut, korot, kulut, udle, kdwai, hoi-tia, nika.
h. Arrowroot {Maranta arundinacea).—This is an erect, smooth, branched herb, 1 to 3 feet high, with small white flowers. The thickened scaly roots may be cooked and eaten, or they may be crushed, the abundant starch washed out, and used as food. This is the commercial arrowroot, and is found only in cultivation. Local names: Ardru, areroo, aruru, droot, adgkrik, drus, djildrut, everut, gderut, gdrut, irut, larut, ngdrut, saldrut, paruta, sdgu, sdgu-bdnban, sdgu-rdrut, pdtat-sagu, tdwang, hula-moa, huda-sula, peda-peda, pia, pi-waldnda, labia-waldnda, masoa-fdnau, tidre-arura.
i. Yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus).—This vine has blue flowers. It is often common in thickets and hedgerows, and is sometimes planted. The turnip-shaped root is very refreshing, the flesh is crisp and pleasant to the taste; it is always eaten raw, never cooked. The very young pods may be cooked and eaten like string beans. Warning: The mature seeds in brown pods should never be eaten as these are poisonous. Local names: Hikamas, sinkamas, bakuwang, bangkowan, bangkuwa, bangkuwang, bingkowang, bengku-wang, singkuwang, huivi-hiris, besusu, djempirdngan, ubi-plisak, oeas, oea.
j. Polynesian arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides).—This is a plant that grows 2 to 5 feet high having stems that are distinctly grooved. The hard, usually round, and potatolike tubers are rich in starch and may be boiled or roasted and eaten, or better, crushed or grated and then boiled. Warning: The tubers should never be eaten raw as they are said to be poisonous until after being crushed, washed, and cooked. Usually the tubers are found in the loose soil some distance from the base of the plant and from one to several to a plant. It is sometimes cultivated, but as a wild plant is most often found in loose sandy soil not far from the seashore. Local names: Gdu-gdu, panarien, tayobong, ketjondang, katfunda,
39
19
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
tjondang, Idbing, leki, leker, likir, tdka-laut, tatoan, kolo-pdle, katjodo, katjunda, kateo, tdlo, tda, huda-korano, pia, yabia, ydmbia, mdra, mdsoa, maaeua, mok-mok, gab-gab, vatia, yovoli.
Figure 27.—Yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus).
k. Water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis).—This is a coarse, more or less tufted plant, 2 to 4 feet high, growing only in flush water swamps in open places. The nearly round, hard tubers are produced underground and are excellent to eat,
40
1 OauoM Mt,
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 19
boiled or roasted. This is the wild form of the so-called ma-tai ot the Chinese and the tubers in normal times are extensively imported into the United States by them and are served in Chinese restaurants. Local names: Apulid,
Figure 28.—Polynesian arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides).
potok, tike, tikai, dekeng, pangoke, tereke, goro, pagoro, bigdu, mansiro-bolong, utu-utu, uchdga-ldhe.
41
19
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
Figure 29.—Water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis).
42
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
20
Section X
PLANTS EATEN AS GREENS
Plants which may be eaten as greens.
Paragraph
_____ 20
Figure 30.—Luff a cylindrica, L. acutangula.
■ 20. Plants Which May Be Eaten as Greens.—a. A, Luffa cylindrica, B, Luffa acutangula.—These vines are cultivated, and also often grow wild. The flowers are yellow. The young
516614°—43-
43
A
B
20
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
green fruits (not more than half ripe) may be cooked and eaten; at this stage they make an excellent vegetable; the tender shoots, flowers, and young leaves may also be cooked and eaten. The mature fruits are too tough to eat. One species ((A), fig. 30) has sharply angled fruits, the other (B) has smooth fruits suggesting a smooth cucumber. The fruits of the wild form, occurring in thickets especially near the sea, are smaller than those of the cultivated forms. Local names: Patola, petola, ketola, bestru, blestru, motini, pacho-
Figure 31.—Balsam vine (Momordica charantia).
44
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 20
dag, djingi, ojong, petola-benggdla, petola-pdndjang, petola-tjina, kimput, ernes, kdtjur, hurung-djawa, timput, lopang, dodahdla, ojong.
b. Balsam vine (Momordica charantia).—This is a slender vine with small yellow flowers. The rough fruits, variable in shape, are usually yellow, the pulp reddish. The young leaves and shoots may be eaten as greens (better mixed with other plant material, as they are rather bitter), while the fruits may be cooked and eaten. This plant is found both in cultivation and wild; the fruits of the wild form are always smaller than are those of the cultivated ones, which may be 6 inches long or even more. Local names: Papdri, pepdre, pare, pdria, pdlia, pdnia, pulia, peria, paparidno, taparipong, karaidno, paridne, paliak, pentu, pepdreh, pdja, truwuk, kdmbeh, popdri, foria, apaldya, ampaldya, apdlia, amargoso, almagoso, mdrgoso, pupuruvi.
c. Commelinaceae.—Figure 32 shows two common and widely distributed representatives of Cyanotis (A) (D) and two of Commelina (B) (C). These are somewhat fleshy, trailing or ascending herbs, with blue flowers. They occur in open places, waste and cultivated lands and meadows, and all are common. The plants may be eaten raw, steamed, or boiled. Local names: Brambdngan, gewor, petungan, tdli-korang, tdli-sdit, rebha-mosor, alibdngon, sabilau, ulik-bdngon, nemeneakdri, vdte, mau-u-toga, aihere-pdpe, rebha-kongong.
d. Forrestia marginata.—This erect plant grows to about 2 feet in height. The stems are smooth or hairy with dense heads of small violet or purple flowers in the leaf axils. The tender shoots may be cooked and eaten, these parts of the plant being even sold in native markets in Malaya. Local names: Arigbdngon, tdhig-tdhig, limpungan, geivor, kerok-bdtok.
e. Three species of Amaranthus.—Various species of Ama-ranthus occur (often in great abundance) throughout the Malaysian and Polynesian regions, particularly in open places (especially (B) fig. 34), waste lands about settlements (especially (C)), and more or less cultivated (A). Some ((A) and (B)) are often 3 feet high; others (C) are usually
45
20
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
not more than 1 foot high. In the cultivated forms the leaves are often variegated, dull purple to even red. The young shoots and leaves of all kinds of Amaranthus make
Figure 32.—Commelinaceae.
excellent greens when cooked. Local names: Kolitis, halon, bdjam, baja, bdjem, vate, driti, nakeke, ddmu-ddmu, drum, drun, howa, hajoem, tdrnak, tdrniak, lembain, nddu, media,
46
B
A,
C
'D
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 20
wdwa, sinue, sinahue, podo, maldbut, lahut, matdhut, mala-huto, uta-paine, ut-ldbut, loda, I6da-koh6ri.
Figure 33.—Forrestia marginata.
/. Celosia argentea.—This ((A), fig. 35) is a wild form of the common garden cock’s comb and is often abundant in meadows, old clearings, waste places, but always in the open,
47
Otiio* *44
20
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
never in forests. It is about 2 feet high and the flower bearing parts are shining white to pink. The young shoots and leaves are boiled and eaten as greens. The garden forms of
the common cock’s comb ((B) and (C)) may also be so used, the floral parts being red, purple, or yellow, but these forms
48
orixeM mx kw A // B > A C
Figure 34.—Amaranthus (three species).
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
20
are usually not found wild. Local names: Borotjo, sangsri, kuntha, kindaydhan, kudidpa.
g. Alternanthera sessilis.—This is a common, widely dis-
Figure 35.—Celosia argentea.
tributed, weedy plant, more or less ascending. It is found in waste places, old rice paddies, along streams and ditches, roadsides, about dwellings, in gardens, and in damp meadows.
49
A B
i c
9r;
ze
Figure 101.—Hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab).
thickets. The very young tender pods may be cooked and eaten as one would prepare string beans. Warning: The mature seeds are often very poisonous (hydrocyanic acid!),
•ven
6E
122
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
23
and one must be very careful when dealing with the wild forms, especially those with black seeds. The seeds vary in size and in color, ranging from white to brown or mottled or
Figure 102.—Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus).
even jet black. The mature seeds of these wild forms may be eaten only after greatly prolonged cooking with many changes of water. Local names: Patdni, kekdra, kdra,
516614°—43----9 123
23
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
kratok, kardtok, bedar, keddar, kropook, roaj, roaj-cdpri, rdaj-hedjo, r oak-gating, buringi, butingi.
m. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea).—The common peanut is
Figure 103.—Peanut (Arachis hypogaea).
often planted, especially in sandy soils. The fruits, borne under the surface of the ground, are very nutritious and the seeds may be eaten raw or cooked. Local names: Mani,
124
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 23-24 kdtjang-broel, kdtjang-tano, katjang-tdmo, katjang-tjina, kdtjang-djana, kdtjang-manila, kdtjang-goreng, kakahuati, hansang, alitak, aritak, kdsang, kdsa-gore, retak-tdnah, retak-guring, itak-bumi, botji, bautji, boutji, njiha-tjina, wardge, wardpe, wehrdpe, hatilal-unsil, hoi, huwea, hatila-laitdin, uwdrsin, jongdri-tjina, laurur-makaharere, boee, foee-kdse, fore-rdi, tjangore, sanggoren, tjanggoreng.
Section XIII
4
POISONOUS PLANTS
Paragraph
Plants to avoid______________________________________ 24
■ 24. Plants To Avoid.—a. Physic nut (Jatropha curcas).— This is a very common shrub found in hedges and fence rows. Warning: The rather large seeds are poisonous and violently purgative, not to be eaten under any circumstances. Local names: Djdrak-kosta, lau-pdta, tuba-tuba, binddlo, bintdlo, uto-papaldgi, baldtjai, ddmar-ende, djirak, kaleke, beaw, blue, peleng-kaliki, pakie-kdse, mouen-mdv, malote, mdkamdle, ai-kamdne, jdihua-kamdlo, baldtjai, boldtjai, kadoto.
b. Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis).—This is a common, coarse, erect shrub or shrublike plant with large lobed leaves. It is found in thickets and open places. Warning: The seeds are poisonous and a violent purgative, not to be eaten under any circumstances. Local names: Agaliya, djd-rak, tdngan-tangan, lulang, dulang, lajdndru, rdngam, kaliki, tatdnga, lolo, ketowang, kolonjan, aldle, kildle, tilalongi, lulu, luluk, baldtjai, tuitui-pakardngi.
c. Tree nettle (Laportea).—These shrubs, or small trees, grow in secondary forests and thickets, some species in the high forest. There are many species. The leaf-edges, nerves, leaf-stalks, flower- and fruit-bearing parts are supplied with stiff, very sharp, stinging hairs, often not conspicuous. These stinging hairs ((A), fig. 106) seated on thin bulbs, are filled with intensely irritating sap. On light contact with the skin one immediately has the sensation of having touched a very
125
24
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
hot iron, due, apparently, to the formic acid in the hair-sap. While intensely painful, the sting is normally not dangerous. Local names: Sdgai, sdgi, lang dt on, Ungdton, anuling, lipa,
Figure 104.—Physic nut (Jatropha curcas).
lipai, lupa, daun-gatee, sdla, sosoro-bdtja, kemdduh, kema-duh-kebo, soro-bilaldgo, sosoro-bobudo, Idteng, keldting, pulus, saldto, lelese, elat, karktdo, kahtat, kdhtl, lilies.
126
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
24
d. Tree nettle (Laportea).—This plant is one of the forms with larger, broader leaves from the southwestern Pacific area. The stinging properties and local names are the same
Figure 105.—Castor oil plant
(Ricinus communis).
as for the narrower-leafed form (c above). The numerous small flowers are greenish or greenish white in all these tree nettles. Figure 107 (A) shows a stinging hair enlarged. The curious thing about these tree nettles is that if one grasps
127
24
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
the leaves very firmly the result is usually little or no stinging, the stinging hairs being crushed. A light touch, however, usually results in an immediate burning sensation. Some species are much more irritating than others.
Figure 106.—Tree nettle (Laportea).
e. Cowhage (Mucuna pruriens; M. biplicata; M. cyano-sperma).—These vines occur in thickets and secondary forests, usually not in the high forest. The flowers are greenish-
128
A
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
24
white to very dark purple or even red. A number of different species occur in Malaya, some without stinging hairs. Parts of the flowers and the pods are covered with many stiff, easily
Figure 107.—Tree nettle (Laportea).
detached, stinging hairs ((C), fig. 108 much enlarged). While distinctly irritating, they are not poisonous, being mechanical irritants. One should avoid getting these stinging
129
A
24
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
hairs into the eyes, as then they cause intense inflammation and may be really dangerous. Local names: Gonseng, kekdra-gdtel, kerdwe, kdrung, raraweje, kowas, ipe, likai, nipai, lupoi, alilipai, danipai, duglo, bukitkit.
Figure 108.—Cowhage (A, Mucuna pruriens; B, M. biplicata; C, M. cyanosperma).
/. Semecarpus.—These shrubs, or small trees, sometimes grow to a height of 30 feet and chiefly occur in thickets and in
130
c
A
c
B
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
24
the secondary forests, many different kinds being known. Some of the species are reputed to cause bad skin eruptions on contact, or from the sap if the trees are cut down. The fleshy
Figure 109.—Semecarpus.
swollen basal parts of the fruits are usually dark purple and can be eaten with safety. The plant belongs in the same family with poison ivy and poison oak. Treatment, if one is
131
24-25
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
poisoned, is the same as that indicated for poison ivy infections. These plants are not very dangerous. Local names: Rdngas, rengasputeh, kdju-sdju, lew er, lenat, renat lauldsi, ingas, telik, dgas, andgas, handgas, Ubas, ligas, Idngas, pdrau, pdnau, tohnget, tongot, tschongot.
Section XIV
PLANTS USED TO STUPEFY FISH
Paragraph
Plants in general_____________________________________________ 25
Specific plants_______________________________________•_______ 26
■ 25. Plants in General.—a. In many parts of the region covered by this manual portions of several different kinds of plants are used to stupefy fish, both those found in tide pools and in small streams. The methods vary, but the usual one is to pound or crush the plant parts used, mix with water, and throw a sufficiently large quantity of the material into pools which the fish inhabit. In streams the material is always placed at the upper end of a quiet pool, thus permitting the current to spread it. Usually large quantities of this mixture must be used. The fish are suffocated, and usually come to the surface belly up; they can then be taken easily. The materials used for this purpose in no manner affect the flesh, and fish thus secured can be eaten with entire safety. Whenever possible seek the advice of friendly natives as to what plants and what plant parts may be used for this purpose and how they are used.
b. The most commonly used and most commonly available plants are different types of Derris (par. 26b), all woody vines, widely known as tuba, and also as tugli, tubli, kaju tuba, toba, mombul, manengop, yup, duup, duva and nathon. The fish poison is most abundant in the roots, but in preparing the material both the roots and other parts of the plants are pounded and thrown into the water. Derris is the most efficient of the various plants used. The large one-seeded fruits of Barringtonia asiatica (par. 26d) are also used. This is a large tree with large, very smooth leaves, pink flowers, and one-seeded fruits that are square in cross-section. Its natural habitat is only along the seashore
132
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
25-26
of Malaysia and parts of Polynesia. It is known as putat laut, bitung, butun, hutun, keben, modgin, puutin, kun, futu, hutu, puting, utu, vutu, vup. The large solitary seed is mashed and thrown into the pools where the fish occur. Another often used plant that is frequently fairly common, is the shrub or small tree Croton tiglium (par. 26a). The small seeds are crushed and used as in Barringtonia. The species is rather commonly found about settlements, near houses, and is naturalized in waste places; it does not occur in the forests. Some of the local names are tuba-tuba, chemekian, cherdken, simaldkian, panchdhar, adalddal, simuli, kowe, kamaisa, kamdgsa, tuba, makaisa. Tephrosia purpurea (par. 26c) is a small shrub or somewhat woody herb with small purple flowers and a small flat pod. It is probably the most used fish poison in Polynesia and Micronesia, where it is widely distributed. The whole plant is pounded or crushed and thrown into the water. Local names: Avasa, hora, hola, auhola, kohuhu. The word tuba which is widely used in Malaya and applied to a number of totally different plants usually indicates a plant that may be used for stupefying fish. Incidentally, a charge of dynamite or even a hand grenade thrown in a pool is a very effective way of stunning fish.
■ 26. Specific Plants.—a. Croton oil plant (Croton tiglium).—This shrub, or small tree, is cultivated and spontaneous. The seeds are used chiefly for poisoning fish. Warning: A very violent purgative. Not to be eaten under any circumstances. Local names: Kamaisa, kamdgsa, ke-mdde, makaisa, tuba, tier akin, simildkian, kemaldkijan, ddal-adal, pentjdhar, rungkou, dungkow, lungkow, lanta, kelmure, tupo, humulite, semuli, kowe.
b. Derris elliptica.—This is a most efficient fish poison, its use for suffocating fish in slow streams, pools, and even tide pools is widely known. There are many different species of the genus, some more potent than others. The parts used are chiefly the crushed roots, but sometimes the crushed
133
26
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
branches and leaves are also used. These are all woody vines, with flowers resembling those of the bean, and narrowly
Figure 110.—Croton oil plant (Croton tiglium).
winged pods, occurring chiefly in thickets and secondary forests. See paragraph 25 for methods of use and local names.
134
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS
26
c. Tephrosia purpurea.—This is a small, branched shrub or shrubby herb, growing in open places. The small flowers
Figure 111.—Derris elliptica.
are purple. It is widely used as a fish poison, especially in Polynesia. The whole plant is crushed and thrown into the pools where fish occur. See paragraph 25 for local names.
135
26
QUARTERMASTER CORPS
d. Barringtonia asiatica.—These large trees grow on the seashore. They bear large smooth leaves, large pink flowers with many stamens, and large fruits which are square in cross
Figure 112.—Tephrosia purpurea.
section and which contain a single large seed. The crushed seeds are used for killing fish in pools. See paragraph 25 for local names and methods of use.
136
feu*
EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 56
Figure 113.—Barringtonia asiatica.
137
INDEX
Paragraph Page
Acalypha indica___________________________________ 20 64
Acalypha wilkesiana_______________________________ 20 65
Achras zapota_____________________________________ 22 93
Acrostichum aureum_______________________________ 12 9
Agave cantala_____________________________________ 20 72
Aleurites moluccana_______________________________ 23 114
Alocasta__________________________________________ 13 11
Alocasia macrorrhiza______________________________ 14 13
Alternanthera sessilis____________________________ 20 49
Amaranthus________________________________________ 20 45
Amorphophallus campanulatus_______________________ 14 16
Anacardiaceae_____________________________________ 4 2
Anacardium occidentale____________________________ 22 86
Annona muricata___________________________________ 22 89
Annona reticulata________________________________ 22 90
Annona squamosa___________________________________ 22 88
Antidesma bunius__________________________________ 22 104
Araceae________________________________________ 13 10
Arachis hypogaea__________________________________ 23 124
Arenga________________________________________ 15, 16 17, 22
Arrowroot________________________________________ 19 39
Arrowroot, Polynesian____________________________ 19 39
Artocarpus altilis_______________________________ 22 79
Artocarpus champeden_____________________________ 22 80
Artocarpus heterophylla__________________________ 22 80
Artocarpus rotunda______________________________ 22 80
Asparagus bean___________________________________ 23 118
Athyrium esculentum______________________________ 12 9
Atolls____________________________________________ 9 4
Averrhoa bilimbi_________________________________ 22 100
Averrhoa carambola_____________________________ 22 100
Balsam vine______________________________________ 20 45
Bamboo___________________________________________ 17 26
Bamboo shoots____________________________________ 18 30
Banana_________________________________________ 22 76
Barley__________________________________________ 17 26
Barringtonia asiatica____________________________ 26 136
Basella rubra____________________________________ 20 50
Beans:
Asparagus____________________________________ 23 118
Hyacinth__________________________________ 23 120
Lima_________________________________,____ 23 122
Beet______________________________________________ 2 1
Bignai___________________________________________ 22 104
Bilimbi__________________________________________ 22 99
Bitter cassava___________________________________ 19 31
Boerhaavia diffusa_______________________________ 20 55
Borneo____________________________________________ 2 2
Breadfruit_____________________:______________ 6, 22 3, 79
(Buck yam________________________________________ 19 37 •
Bulb yam_________________________________________ 19 S3
516614°—43-
10
139
INDEX
Buri palm____._________________________________
Burma__________________________________________
Cabbage________________________________________
Cajanus cajan__________________________________
Calamus-------------------------------1______
Calla lily_____________________________________
Canarium commune_______________________________
Candle nut_____________________________________
Cantala________________________________________
Carambola______________________________________
Carica papaya__________________________________
Carrot_________________________________________
Caryota________________________________________
Cashew_________________________________________
Cassava:
Bitter__._________________________________
Sweet_____________________________________
Castor oil plant_______________________________
Celosia argentea_______________________________
Century plant__________________________________
Ceratopteris thalictroides_____________________
Ceylon spinach_________________________________
Champedak______________________________________
Chestnut:
Polynesian________________________________
Water_____________________________________
Cock’s comb____________________________________
Coconut palm___________________________________
Cocos nucifera_________________________________
Coix lachryma-jobi_____________________________
Colocasia esculenta____________________________
Commelinaceae__________________________________
Coral tree_____________________________________
Corn___________________________________________
Corypha________________________________________
Cowhage________________________________________
Croton oil plant_______________________________
Croton tiglium_________________________________
Cucumber_______________________________________
Custard apple__________________________________
Cyathea _______________________________________
Cycas circinalis_______________________________
Cynometra cauliflora___________________________
Cyrtosperma____________________________________
Cyrtosperma chamissonis________________________
Derris elliptica_______________________________
Dioscorea alata________________________________
Dioscorea bulbifera____________________________
Dioscorea esculenta____________________________
Dioscorea hispida______________________________
Dioscorea pentaphylla__________________________
Dolichos lablab________________________________
Edible ferns___________________________________
Edible fruits._________________________________
Paragraph Page
16 22
2 1
2 1
23 118
16 22
13 10
23 118
23 114
20 72
22 99
22 77
2 1
15, 16 17, 22
22 86
19 31
19 31
24 125
20 45
20 72
12 8
20 50
22 80
23 111
19 40
20 45
10,16 5,23
16 23
18 27
14 11
20 45
20 68
17 26
16 22
4, 24 3, 128
26 133
26 133
2 1
22 90
12 7
23 116
22 102
13 11
14 15
26 133
19 33
19 33
19 35
19 38
19 37
23 120
11 5
21 75
140
INDEX
Paragraph Page
Edible grasses_____________________________________ 17 26
Edible greens______________________________________ 20 43
Edible herbs_____________________________________ 13 10
Edible palms_________________________________________ 15 17
Edible seeds_______________________________________ 23 110
Edible tubers______________________________________ 19 30
Egg plant--------------------------------------------- 2 1
Eichhornia crassipes_________________________________ 20 60
Eleocharis dulcis____________________________________ 19 40
Elephant ear_________________________________________ 14 13
Emilia, sonchifolia__________________________________ 20 61
Erechtites___________________________________________ 20 61
Erythrina variegata__________________________________ 20 68
Ferns:
Fiddle head_______________________________
Food value________________________________
Kinds_____________________________________
Pako______________________________________
Paku______________________________________
Use as food by natives____________________
Ferns, edible:
Acrostichum aureum.l______________________
Paco______________________________________
Stenochlaena palustris____________________
Swamp_____________________________________
Tree______________________________________
Fiji__________________________________________
Fishtail palm_________________________________
Forrestia marginata___________________________
Fruits, edible:
Artocarpus rotunda________________________
Banana____________________________________
Bignai____________________________________
Bilimbi___________________________________
Breadfruit________________________________
Carambola___________________i_____________
Cashew____________________________________
Champed ak________________________________
Custard apple_______________r_____________
Cynometra cauliflora______________________
Gnetum gnemon_____________________________
Ground cherry_____________________________
Guava_____________________________________
Jak fruit_________________________________
Jambolan__________________________________
Lansone___________________________________
Malay apple_______________________________
Mango_____________________________________
Pandan____________________________________
Polynesian plum___________________________
Pulusan___________________________________
Rambutan__________________________________
Rose apple________________________________
Santol____________________________________
Sapodilla_________________________________
Screw pine________________________________
11
11
11
11
11
11
12
12
12
12
12
9
16
20
5
5
5
6
6
5
10
9
10
8
7
5
22
45
22 80
22 76
22 104
22 99
22 79
22 99
22 86
22 80
22 80
22 102
22 104
22 107
22 84
22 81
22 94
22 83
22 95
22 91
22 105
22 98
22 81
22 81
22 95
22 96
22 93
22 103
141
INDEX
Fruits, edible—Continued. Paragraph; Page
Sour sop___________________________________ 22 89
Spondias pinnata___________________________ 22 99
Sweet sop__________________________________ 22 88
Syzgiunv aqueum____________________________ 22 95
Tamarind___________________________________ 22 101
Wild tomato________________________________ 22 105
Ximenia americana__________________________ 22 104
Fruits:
Guide to eating____________________________ 10 5
Maturity of________________________________ 10 5 .
Gnetum gnemon_________________________________ 22 104
Goa yam_______________________________________ 19 35
Grasses, edible_______________________________ 17 26
Bamboo shoots__________________j,__________ 18 3Q
Job’s tears________________________________ 18 27
Setaria palmifolia_________________________ 18 28
Greater yam___________________________________ 19 33
Greens:
Acalypha indica____________________________ 20 64
Acalypha wilkesiana________________________ 20 65
Alternanthera sessilis_____________________ 20 49
Amaranthus_________________________________ 20 45
Balsam vine________________________________ 20 45
Boerhaavia diffusa_________________________ 20 55
Cantala____________________________________ 20 72
Celosia argentea___________________________ 20 45
Ceylon spinach_____________________________ 20 50
Commelinaceae______________________________ 20 45
Coral tree_________________________________ 20 68
Cycas circinalis___________________________ 23 116
Emilia sonchifolia_________________________ 20 61
Erechtites_________________________________ 20 61
Forrestia marginata________________________ 20 45
Gnetum gnemon______________________________ 22 104
Horseradish tree___________________________ 20 67
Ipomea aquatica____________________________ 20 57
Luffa acutangula___________________________ 20 43
Luffa cylindrica___________________________ 20 43
Monochoria hastata_________________________ 20 59
Monochoria vaginalis_______________________ 20 59
Morinda citrifolia_________________________ 20 71
Ottelia alismoides_________________________ 20 58
Papaya------------------------------------- 22 77
Pemphis acidula____________________________ 20 71
Pilea glaberrima___________________________ 20 52
Pluchea indica_____________________________ 20 63
Purslane___________________________________ 20 53
Seaside purslane___________________________ 20 53
Sesbania grandiflora_______________________ 20 70
Sesuvium portulacastrum____________________ 20 53
Solanum nigrum_____________________________ 20 56
Spilanthes acmella_________________________2 20 62
Tamarind___________________________________ 22 101
Thespesia populnea_________________________ 20 71
Tournefortia argentea______________________ 20 71
Water hyacinth_________________,___________ 20 60
Ximenia americana__________________________ 22 104
142
Paragraph, Page
Ground cherry_______________________________________ 22 107
Guava_______________________________________________ 22 84
Herbs, edible_______________________________________ 13 10
Amorphophallus campanulatus_____________________ 14 16
Cyrtosperma chamissonis_________________________ 14 15
Elephant ear____________________________________ 14 13
Schizmatoglottis calyptrata_____________________ 14 12
Taro___________________________________________ 14 11
Horseradish tree___________________________________ 20 67
Hyacinth, bean______________________________________ 23 120
Hyacinth, water____________________________i_____ 20 40
Identification, of edible fruits:
Brown fruit_____________________________________ 22 101
Grayish to brownish fruit----------------------- 22 93
Green fruit_____________________________________ 22 88
Green or brownish-green fruit------------------- 22 79
Green or yellowish-green fruit_______________ 22 80, 84
Greenish-white fruit____________________________ 22 95
Pink fruit______________________________________ 22 95
Pink to reddish fruit____________________________22 95
Purple fruit____________________________________ 22 95
Purplish-black fruit____________________________ 22 104
Red flowers_____________________________________ 22 95, 105
Red fruit_______________________________________ 22 81,104
White flowers__________________________________ 22 84,95
White or yellow flowers_________________________ 22 107
Yellow fruit____________________________________ 22 77,92
Yellowish fruit_________________________________ 22 83,96
Yellowish or yellowish-green fruit______________ 22 98
Yellowish-green fruit___________________________ 22 103
Identification of edible grasses:
White flowers___________________________________ 17 26
White fruit_____________________________________ 18 27
Identification of edible greens:
Plants:
Black berries______________________________ 20 56
Blue flowers_______________________________ 20 45,59
Blue flowered water plant__________________ 20 60
Greenish or greenish-white flowers______ 20 52
Pink flowers_______________________________ 20 55
Red, purple, or yellow flowers_____________ 20 48
Reddish to purplish stem___________________ 20 55
Violet, or purple flowers__________________ 20 45
White flowered water plant________________ 20' 58
White flowers______________________________ 20 50, 56, 58
White to pink flowers______________________ 20 48
Shrubs:
Colored leaves_____________________________ 20 65
Grayish-white leaves_______________________ 20 71
Green or reddish twigs_____________________ 20 65
Greenish-white fruit_______________________ 20 71
Violet flowers_____________________________ 20 63
White flowers_____________________________ 20 71
143
INDEX
Identification of edible greens—Continued.
Trees:
Pods___________________________________
Red flowers____________________________
White flowers__________________________
White or wine-red flowers______________
Yellow flowers_________________________
Vines:
Green, red, or purplish leaves_________
Pink flowers___________________________
Pods___________________________________
Red, purplish, yellowish-green stems___
Yellow flowers_________________________
Weeds:
Pink flowers___________________________
Pink or reddish flowers________________
Yellow flowers_________________________
Yellowish flowers______________________
Identification of plants with edible seeds:
Greenish-white or violet flowered vine_____
Pale green-leafed tree_____________________
Pink lotus flowers_________________________
Red fruit tree_____________________________
Red-leafed tree____________________________
Violet or white flowered vine______________
Violet-blue flowered vine__________________
White, pink, blue, water lily flowers______
Yellow flowered shrub______________________
Identification of poisonous plants:
Greenish-white flowers_____________________
Greenish-white, purple, or red flowers_____
Purple base________________________________
Stinging hairs_____________________________
Identification of tubers:
Blue flowers_______________________________
Grooved stems______________________________
Hard bulbs_____________________________
Pink flowers_______________________________
Three-parted leaf__________________________
Vine with pods_____________________________
White flowers______________________________'
Indian almond___________________________________
Indian corn_________________________________
Indian turnip___________________________________
Indo-China__________________________________J___
Inocarpus fagiferus_________________________
Insects_________________________________Z_Z__ZZ"
Ipomoea aquatica________________________________
Ipomoea batatas_____________________________
Jack-in-the-pulpit__________________________
Jak fruit___________________________________Z_ Z"
Jambolan____________________________________
Jatropha curcas_______________________________ _
Java________________________________________
Job’s tear______________________
Paragraph, Page
20 67, 70
20 68
20 67,71
20 70
20 71
20 51
20 51, 57
20 67, 70
20 51
20 43,45
20 62
20 61
20 62
20 62
23 122
23 114
23 118
23 111
23 112
23 120
23 118
23 118
23 118
24 127
24 128
24 131
24 125,
127,129
19 39
19 39
19 34
19 30
19 38
19 39
19 39
23 112
2 1
13 10
2 1
23 111
5 3
20 57
19 30
13 10
22 80
22 94
24 125
4 2
18 27
144
INDEX
Paragraph Page
Kanari___________________________________________ 23 118
Lansium domesticum_______________________________ 22 83
Lansone__________________________________________ 22 83
Lapbrtea_________________________________________ 24 125, 127
Leech, land_______________________________________ 5 3
Lima bean________________________________________ 23 122
Lime______________________________________________ 2 1
Lotus____________________________________________ 23 118
Luff a acutangula______________________________ _ 20 43
Lzcffa cylindrica________________________________ 20 43
Lycopersicum. esculentum_________________________ 22 105
Maize__________________________________________ 2, 17 126
Mangifera. indica________________________________ 22 91
Mango------------------------------------------ 4, 22 3, 91
Manihot esculenta________________________________ 19 31
Manioc___________________________________________ 19 31
Malay apple_____________________________________ 22' 95
Malay Archipelago_________________________________ 2 1
Malaysia_________________________________________ 22 so
Maranta arundinacea______________________________ 19 39
Maturity of fruit________________________________ 10 3
Melanesia_________________________________________ 2 1
Metroxylon_______________________________________ 16 19
Micronesia_____________________________________ 2, 6 1,4
Millet___________________________________________ 17 26
Moluccas_________________________________________ 22 76
Momordica charantia______________________________ 20 45
Monochoria hastata_______________________________ 20 59
Monochoria vaginalis_____________________________ 20 59
Morinda citrifolia______________________________ 20 71
Moringa oleifera_________________________________ 20 67
Mosquito________________________________________ 5 3
Mucuna biplicata_________________________________ 24 128
Mucuna cyanosperma_______________________________ 24 128
Mucuna pruriens_________________________________ 24 128
Musa sapientum___________________________________ 22 77
Musa troglodytarum------------------------------- 22 77
Names, local______________________________________ 8 4
Native use of plants___________________________1,6,7 1,3,4
Nelumbium nelumbo________________________________ 23 118
Nephelium lappaceum______________________________ 22 81
Nephelium mutabile_______________________________ 22 81
New Guinea_______________________________________ 22 76
Nipa fruticans___________________________________ 16 24
Nipa palm________________________________________ 16 24
Nymphaea_________________________________________ 23 118
Oats_____________________________________________ 17 26
Oranges___________________________________________ 2 1
Ottelia alismoides_______________________________ 20 58
Pachyrhizus erosus_______________________________ 19 59
Paco_____________________________________________ 12 9
145
INDEX
Paragraph Page
Palms, edible______________________________________ 15 17
Buri------------------------------------------- 16 22
Coconut________________________________________ 16 23
Fishtail_______________________________________ 16 22
Nipa------------------------------------------- 16 24
Rattan----------------------------------------- 16 22
Sago------------------------------------------- 16 19
Salacca edulis_____________________________± 16 22
Sugar------------------------------------------ 16 22
Pandan_____________________________________________ 22 104
Pandanus tectorius_________________________________ 22 104
Pangi---------------------------------------------- 23 110
Pangium edule____________________________________ 23 no
Papaya--------------------------------------------- 22 77
Parts of plants eaten_______________________________ 1 1
Papaw_______________________________________________ 1 77
Pea, pigeon________________________________________ 23 118
Peanut--------------------------------------------- 23 124
Pemphis acidula____________________________________ 20 71
Pepper, sweet_______________________________________ 2 1
Pests, jungle--------------------------------------- 5 3
Phaseolus lunatus__________________________________ 23 122
Philippines_______________________________________ 2 1
Physalis------------------------------------------- 22 107
Physic nut----------------------------------------- 24 125
Pigeon pea----------------------------------------- 23 118
Pili---------------------------------------------- 23 118
Pineapple_________________________________________ 2 1
Piled glaberrima___________________________________ 20 52
Plantain_______________________________________ 21, 22 76
Plants used to stupefy fish____________________ 25, 26 132,133
Barringtonia asiatica__________________________ 26 136
Croton oil plant_______________________________ 26 133
Derris elliptica_______________________________ 26 133
Tephrosia purpurea_____________________________ 26 135
Pluchea indica_____________________________________ 20 63
Poisonous plants-------------------------------4, 5, 24 2,3,125
Castor oil plant_______________________________ 24 147
Physic nut------------------------------------- 24 125
Seme carpus____________________________________ 24 130
Poisonous plants, cooking of________________________ 7 4
Poisonous plants, treatment for_____________________ 4 2
Polynesia-------------------------------------- 2, 22 1, 76
Polynesian arrowroot_______________________________ 19 ’ 39
Polynesian chestnut________________________________ 23 111
Polynesian plum____________________________________ 22 98
Pomelo______________________________________________ 2 1
Portulaca oleracea_________________________________ 20 53
Potato, substitute_________________________________ 14 u
Psidium guajava____________________________________ 22 84
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus________________________ 23 118
Pulusan____________________________________________ 22 81
Purpose of manual___________________________________ 1 1
Purslane------------------------------------------- 20 53
Purslane, seaside__________________________________ 20 53
146
INDEX
Paragraph Page
Rambutan__________________________________________ 22 81
Rattan palm----------------:__________>_______ 16 22
Region covered_____________________________________ 2 1
Rengas_____________________________________________ 4 2
Rice-------------------------------------------- 2,17 1,26
Ricinus communis--------------------------------- 24 147
Rose apple---------------------------------------- 22 95
Sago palm----------------------------■.------- 16 19
Salacca edulis____________________________________ 16 92
Sandor icum koetja/pe______----------------------- 22 96
Santol____________________________________________ 22 96
Sap, milky_________________________________________ 4 2
Sapodilla_________________________________________ 22 93
Schizmatoglottis calyptrata______________________ 14 12
Screw pine_______________________________________ 22 104
Seeds, edible:
Artocarpus rotunda____________________________ 22 80
Asparagus bean-------------------------------- 23 118
Breadfruit____________________________________ 22 79
Candle nut____________________________________ 23 114
Cashew________________________________________ 22 86
Champedak_____________________________________ 22 80
Cycas circinalis______________________________ 23 116
Gnetum gnemon--------------------------------- 22 104
Hyacinth bean--------------------------------- 23 120
Indian almond--------------------------------- 23 112
, Jak fruit_____________________________________ 22 80
Kanari---------------------------------------- 23 118
Lima bean------------------------------------- 23 122
Lotus_________________________________________ 23 118
Pandan________________________________________ 22 104
Pangi----------------------------------------- 23 110
Peanut---------------------------------------- 23 124
Pigeon pea------------------------------------ 23 118
Pili__________________________________________ 23 118
Polynesian chestnut-------------------------- 23 111
Sterculia foetida----------------------------- 23 111
Water lily------------------------------------ 23 118
Semecarpus---------------------------------------- 24 130
Sesbania grandiflora----------------------------- 201 70
Sesuvium portulacastrum___________________________ 20 53
Setaria palmifolia-------------------------------- 18 28
Shoots_____________________________________________ 1 1
Snakes________________________________________ 3,5 2,3
Solanum nigrum_________________.______________ 20* 56
Sorghum________________________1-------------- 2,17 1,26
Sour sop__________________________________________ 22 89
Spiders____________________________________________ 5 3
Spilanth.es acmella------------------------------- 20 62
Spondias dulcis----------------------------------- 22 98
Spondias pinnata__________________________________ 22 99
Squash_____________________________________________ 2 1
Starch:
Obtaining_____________________________________ 15 17
Utilizing___________________________________ 15 17
147
INDEX
Paragraph; Page
Stenochlaena palustris___________________■_____ 12 9
Sterculia foetida_________________________________ 23 m
Stinging plants-----------------------------4,13 2,10
Stupefying fish, method of___,_________________ 25 132
Sugar palm---------------------------------------- 16 22
Sugarcane_________________________________________ 17 26
Sumatra___________________________________________ 2 1
Swamp fern________________________________________ 12 8
Sweet cassava___________________________________ 19 31
Sweet potato___________________________________ 19 30
Sweet sop----------------------------------------- 22 88
Syzygium aqueum_________________________________ 22 95
Syzygium cumini___________________________________ 22 94
Syzygium jambos----------------------------------- 22 95
Syzygium malaccense_______________________________ 22 95
Tacca leontopetdloides____________________________ 19 39
Tamarind__________________________________ZZZZ 22 101
Tamarindus indica______________________________ 22 101
Tapioca---------------------------------------- 19 31
Taro-------------------------------------------13, 14 n
Tephrosia purpurea________________________________ 26 135
Terminalia catappa_____________________________ 23 112
Thailand___________________________________________ 2 1
Thespesia) populnea_______________________________ 20 71
Tournefortia argentea_____________________________ 20 71
Tree nettle---------------------------------------- 24 125,127
Trees:
Coral, j-------------------------------------- 20 68
Horseradish___________________________________ 20 67
Nettles------------------------------------ 4, 24 3,125
Pemphis acidula_______________________________ 20 71
Sesbania grandiflora__________________________ 20 70
Thespesia populnea____________________________ 20 71
Tubers--------------------------------------i,13,14 i, 77
Edible---------------------------------------- 19 30
Arrowroot_________________________________ 19 39
Buck yam---------------------------------- 19 37
Bulb yam---------------------------------- 19 33
Cassava___________________________________ 19 31
Goa yam----------------------------------- 19 35
Polynesian arrowroot______________________ 19 39
Sweet potato______________________________ 19 30
Water chestnut____________________________ 19 40
Wild yam---------------------------------- 19 38
Yam bean__________________________________ 19 39
Vines:
Balsam________________________________________ 20 45
Ceylon spinach______________________________ 20 50
Gnetum gnemon_________________________________ 22 104
Water chestnut__________________________________ 19 40
Water from coconut palm------------------------- 16 23
Water from palms________________________________ 15 17
Water from rattan palm__________________________ 16 22
Water hyacinth__________________________________ 20 40
148
INDEX
Paragraph Page
23 118
17 26
22 105
19 38
22 104
19 39
19 37
19 37
Water lily---------------------------------
Wheat______________________________________
■Wild tomato-------------------------------
Wild yam___________________________________
Ximenia americana__________________________
Yam bean-----------------------------------
Yam, buck----------------------------------
Yam, goa-----------------------------------
o
149
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