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Megaphrynium macrostachyum is a species of large plant in the Marantaceae family native to tropical Africa. It grows in moist places and regenerates rapidly after ground disturbance or fire. The long stems have various uses in making cord, baskets and mats, and the large leaves are used for wrapping food, for making utensils and containers, and in herbal medicine.
Megaphrynium macrostachyum is native to tropical, sub-Saharan Africa, its range extending from Liberia to South Sudan and Uganda, and southward to Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, at altitudes of up to 1,500 m (5,000 ft).
The leaves of Megaphrynium macrostachyum are used to wrap food while it is cooking, imparting a characteristic aroma to the food. For example, it is the preferred wrapping for a staple dish of central Africa, chikwangue (cassava bread). The young leaves can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable and older leaves are used to make disposable table-wear, containers, funnels, pots, fans and parasols. The petioles, either whole or split, are used to make cord, baskets and mats. The leaves are also used in herbal medicine as a sedative and to treat epilepsy and mental problems, another use being as an antidote to snake venom and arthropod stings.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Megaphrynium macrostachyum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
