Lasia spinosa is an herbaceous perennial herb in the family Araceae. The plant is native to Assam and found in the area of swamps, riverbanks, ditches, and moist places in tropical and subtropical forests. Lasia plants spread by means of a long, creeping, stoloniferous stem. The shape of leaves of Lasia spinosa is sagittate-hastate and petiole has laxly prickles. The stem and leaves of the plant are edible and have various medicinal uses. It is also sometimes cultivated as a vegetable crop along the margins of ponds. The Assamese common names are চেংমৰা, চেং কচু (Chengamora, Cheng Kachu).
Scientific classification of Lasia spinosa
Kingdom : Plantae
Phylum : Tracheophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Order : Alismatales
Family : Araceae
Genus : Lasia
Species : Lasia spinosa (L.) Thwaites
Synonyms :
Dracontium spinosum L.
Lasia aculeata Lour.
Lasia crassifolia Engl.
Lasia crassifolia f. angustisecta Engl.
Lasia crassifolia f. latisecta Engl.
Lasia desciscens Schott
Lasia hermannii Schott
Lasia heterophylla (Roxb.) Schott
Lasia jenkinsii Schott
Lasia loureiroi Schott, nom. illeg.
Lasia roxburghii Griff.
Lasia zollingeri Schott
Pothos heterophyllus Roxb.
Pothos lasia Roxb. Pothos spinosus Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.