ABSTRACT:

Araceae is one of the biggest families of monocotyledonous plants, and is diverse in both Old World and New World tropics and some are found in north temperate regions. The diversity of their species composition in the tropical Asian region is relatively rich and widely distributed in countries of South East Asia. In researching Araceae, the investigation and conservation of species are addressed accordingly. The survey of the distribution of Araceae along the lower section of Perak River, Malaysia was conducted from April to May, 2013 on several sites in each of four areas, namely Kuala Kangsar, Parit, Teluk Itan and Bagan Datuk which were selected based on the reviews about the main groups of Perak River’s landscape. During the field assessments, 17 aroid species in 13 genera were detected in this region. From the data collected, Colocasia and Alocasia are most frequent in areas surveyed and Colocasia is the most common genus. From Teluk Itan, Colocasia esculenta is the most common species because it grows in lowlands, extending from sea level. Colocasia gigantea is also recorded but not abundant. Besides the dominant species found, other species are occasionally found in rice fields and canals in the region surveyed. Most of Araceae species obtain nutrient substances from the area close to the river. Other surveys about the social values of Araceae usages are also conducted to supplement this work about Araceae in the Perak River.