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Rachini-heng-mai-bai | ราชินีแห่งไม้ใบ | Caladium bicolor

Family: Araceae - Genus: Caladium

You can find a number of variations of this plant all over the premises of Eco-Logic Thailand and the Thai Child Development Foundation during the rainy season.

 

The genus Caladium bicolor has hundreds of color variations with green, white, pink, and red. They grow in open areas of the forest and on the banks of rivers and go dormant during the dry season. The wild plants grow to 40–90 centimeter tall, with leaves mostly 15–45 centimeter long and broad. The Thai for this beautiful plant is 'Queen of the Leaves'.

Caladiums grow from tubers.


NOTE: All parts of the plant are poisonous. They should not be ingested and may irritate sensitive skin.

During the rainy season you will find this plant everywhere on the premises of TCDF and Eco-Logic.


 

The papaya is a small, sparsely branched tree, usually with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 meter tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is usually scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. All parts of the plant contain latex.
Plant

THE PLANT


The wild plants grow to 40–90 centimeter tall, with leaves mostly 15–45 centimeter long and broad.






 

The leaves of the papaya are large, 50-70 cm in diameter, with seven lobes.
Leaf

THE LEAVES

Leaves of the Caladium are mostly 15–45 centimeter long and broad. It has hundreds of color variations with green, white, pink, and red.

The Thai for this beautiful plant is 'Queen of the Leaves'.





 


The flowers are five-parted; the male flowers have the stamens fused to the petals. The female flowers have a superior ovary and five contorted petals loosely connected at the base. The flowers are sweet-scented, open at night, and wind- or insect-pollinated.
FLOWER

THE FLOWERS

Blooming on caladium plants isn’t common, but mature plants do develop a flower-like bud.







 
The flowers are five-parted; the male flowers have the stamens fused to the petals. The female flowers have a superior ovary and five contorted petals loosely connected at the base. The flowers are sweet-scented, open at night, and wind- or insect-pollinated.
BERRIES

THE FRUIT

After blooming, the caladium forms a tight cluster of orange or white berries, each containing up to 10 seeds, will appear.







 

CULINARY USES

All parts of the plant are poisonous. They should not be ingested and may irritate sensitive skin.




 

TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE OF NEEDLE FLOWER


NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.


All parts of the plant are poisonous. They should not be ingested and may irritate sensitive skin. In traditional medicine the plant is said to be used for:


The powdered tuber is used to treat facial skin blemishes

Crushed leaves are used in veterinary medicine to destroy vermin on sores of cattle.

The juice of the stems is used in the form of an enema to expel roundworms[.

When applied to the skin, the juice destroys maggots.


 

INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience

For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!


Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!


INTO THE WILD!

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