On the "Ray" Plant in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Several herbal remedies are known under the common name of “ray”, all widely distributed in Viet Nam and are used in folk medicine for itches, furuncles, snake bites. In previous reports, the plants have been examined for the antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidative effects of the flavonoids extracted from the tuber. In this study, the researchers describe the botanical characteristics of two species Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G. Don and A. odora (Lindl.) K. Koch, and point out the differences between them, providing anatomical grounds for the distinction of the two plants.