Hanguana malayana Merr.

Perennial herb, very variable as to the dimensions of all its parts (except those of the flowers), either aquatic (in morasses and slowly moving water) or terrestrial (in humid forests). Stem ascending, above the lower rooting or floating part rigidly erect, ½-2 m high (panicle included), at a somewhat advanced age emitting from the basal part one or more creeping or floating densely sheathed, often long runners which at their apex develop into a new plant behaving in the same way, especially those of the often very robust aquatic form, which frequently generate large, dense, nearly impenetrable masses, parts of which frequently separate, by a rise of the water, from the motherplant and form floating islands. The terrestrial form, as a rule, much less robust and forming fewer, shorter, feebler runners, not generating dense masses. Both forms, when young, usually more or less densely crispy hairy, afterwards glabrescent. Leaves stiff, 20-120 by 1½-15 cm. Panicle (disregarding peduncle) 10-120 cm long, 1-3 times branched. Outer tepals 2-2½ mm long, inner 2½-3 mm. Drupe oblong, much surpassing the perianth, up to 2 cm long, shining red.

From the plains up to ± 1500 m, in morasses, along lake-shores and rivers, in slowly moving fresh water and in humid forests.

Uses. BLUME in ROEM. & SCHULT. l.c. p. 1494 states that the roots of the aquatic form (anthel-minthica; see beneath) are used in Java by veterinary surgeons as a vermifuge. This statement has not been confirmed by any subsequent author. In New Guinea the stems and runners of this form are said to be eaten raw by the Papuans.

Plants can be grown from seeds and stolons.