Quassia indica (PROSEA)
Introduction |
Quassia indica (Gaertner) Noot.
- Protologue: Fl. males. ser. I, 6: 199 (1962).
- Family: Simaroubaceae
Quassia indica (Gaertner) Noot. - 1, fruiting twig; 2, inflorescence; 3, fruit side view of inner margin
Synonyms
- Samadera indica Gaertner (1791),
- Manungala pendula Blanco (1837).
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: gateph pait (Bangka), sahangi (Minahasa) lani (Ambon)
- Malaysia: kayu pahit (Peninsular), kelapahit (Murut, Sabah), manuggal (Iban, Sarawak)
- Papua New Guinea: tosi (Delena, Central Province)
- Philippines: manunggal (Tagalog, Bikol, Bisaya)
- Vietnam: sâm dề, thằn lằn ấn.
Distribution
Q. indica occurs naturally from Madagascar eastward to Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar) and Indo-China, throughout Malesia (except for Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands), eastward to the Solomon Islands. Cultivated in Java and elsewhere in Malesia.
Uses
A decoction of the plant is used to relieve intestinal problems. The seeds in particular are of medicinal importance and are commonly applied as an emetic and purgative. In the Philippines, the juice of the pounded bark is considered a cure for skin diseases. After maceration or in decoction the bark and wood are applied as a febrifuge, tonic, stomachic and emmenagogue. The oil from the seeds is a liniment for bruises and rheumatism. Crushed leaves are applied in erysipelas. In the Central Province, Papua New Guinea, a decoction of the leaves is taken to relieve cough. In the Solomon Islands, macerated leaves mixed with coconut oil are used to kill head lice. An infusion of the leaves is used as an insecticide.
Observations
- A shrub or tree up to 20 m tall.
- Leaves simple, elliptical-oblong to lanceolate, 12-30 cm × 4-12 cm, veins prominent, with pitted glands on both surfaces, petiole 1-2.5 cm long.
- Inflorescence a terminal or axillary pseudo-umbel, 1-30 cm long.
- Flowers bisexual, calyx 4-lobed, petals free, accrescent, up to 3 cm × 1 cm, creamy green to violet.
- Fruit an aggregate of the 4 carpels, laterally compressed, with a straight inner and semicircular outer margin, 4-9 cm × 2.5-5 cm.
- Seed with thin testa, endosperm absent, cotyledons planoconvex, up to 3.5 cm × 2.5 cm.
Q. indica is usually rather rare but locally common in tidal swamp forest or periodically inundated forest. In lowland mixed dipterocarp forest it is usually found below 150 m altitude.
Selected sources
- [74] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1964—1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1964) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
- [135] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I—Z) pp. 1241—2444.
- [348] Goh, S.H., Chuah, C.H., Mok, J.S.L. & Soepadmo, E., 1995. Malaysian medicinal plants for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 163 pp.
- [368] Greshoff, M., 1894. Schetsen nuttige Indische planten [Sketches of useful Indonesian plants]. Series 1 (1—50). Extra Bulletin van het Koloniaal Museum. J.H. de Bussy, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 245 pp.
- [407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
- [421] Holdsworth, D.K., 1987. Traditional medicinal plants of the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. Part III. International Journal of Crude Drug Research 25(2): 103—112.
- [730] Ng, F.S.P., 1991—1992. Manual of forest fruits, seeds and seedlings. 2 volumes. Malayan Forest Record No 34. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, Malaysia. 997 pp.
- [746] Nooteboom, H.P., 1962. Simaroubaceae. In: van Steenis C.G.G.J. (Editor): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 6. Wolters-Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. pp. 193—226.
- [786] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
- [810] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
- [949] Soepadmo, E., Wong, K.M. & Saw, L.G. (Editors), 1995—. Tree flora of Sabah and Sarawak. Sabah Forestry Department, Forest Research Institute Malaysia and Sarawak Forestry Department, Kepong, Malaysia.
- [1066] Whitmore, T.C. & Ng, F.S.P. (Editors), 1972—1989. Tree flora of Malaya. A manual for foresters. 2nd Edition. 4 volumes. Malayan Forest Records No 26. Longman Malaysia Sdn. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur & Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Main genus page
Authors
- H.C. Ong