A rhizomatous, perennial, erect, robust herb, up to 3.5 m tall. Rhizome branching horizontally, up to 60 cm long and 10 cm in diameter, with fleshy segments resembling corms, covered with scale leaves, and thick fibrous roots. Leaves arranged spirally with large open sheaths, sometimes shortly petiolate; blade narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptical, up to 60 cm 15—27 cm, entire, base rounded to cuneate, gradually attenuate to the sheath, apex acuminate, midrib prominent, underside often slightly purplish. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, usually simple but sometimes branched, bearing single or paired, irregular, bisexual flowers; bracts broadly obovate, 1—2 cm 1 cm; sepals 3, ovate, acute, 1—1.5 cm 0.4—0.9 cm; corolla 4—5 cm long, the lowermost 1 cm fused into a tube, lobes free; lobes 3, linear, 3—4 cm 0.3—0.6 cm, pale red to yellow. Fruit a loculicidally dehiscent ovoid capsule, 3 cm 2.5 cm, outside with soft spines. Seeds are numerous, globose, 0.5 cm in diameter, smooth and hard, blackish to very dark brown.

Diuretic (decoction of rhizome); demulcent, diaphoretic and diuretic (plant)

Plants For A Future
Philippine Medicinal Plants
PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin (roots)

Used against diarrhoea and yaws (rhizome); to treat acute hepatitis and jaundice (decoction of rhizome); applied topically for traumatic injuries and to alleviate nose bleeding (crushed fresh rhizomes); used in combination with fermented rice in the treatment of gonorrhoea and amenorrhoea (decoction of roots); in the treatment of women's complaints (plant); for external wound bleeding (flowers).