Desmodium ormocarpoides (PROSEA)
Introduction |
- Protologue: Prodr. 2: 327 (1825).
Synonyms
Hedysarum adhaerens Poir. (1817), Hedysarum ormocarpum Desv. ex Poir. (1817).
Vernacular names
- Papua New Guinea: agagil (Yunamami, East New Britain), digambi (Gaulim, East New Britain).
Distribution
Sulawesi, the Moluccas, the Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea, Australia (Queensland), the New Hebrides and New Caledonia.
Uses
In Papua New Guinea, the leaves are macerated in water and the solution is drunk to treat malaria and tuberculosis. The solution is also reported to be effective against pains and itches. Roots are chewed to prevent vomiting.
Observations
A climbing shrub or undershrub, up to 150 cm tall, young stems covered with hooked hairs; leaves 1-foliolate, stipules narrowly triangular, 3.8-4.3 mm long, leaflet elliptical or ovate, 8-20 cm × 3.5-8 cm, chartaceous to coriaceous, both surfaces glabrous, lateral veins 6-8, prominent, not extending to the margin; inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme, usually 15-70 cm long, lax-flowered; flowers in clusters of 2-4, calyx 4-lobed, minutely hairy, corolla white, androecium diadelphous, style spirally twisted; pod linear, stalked, 3-5-jointed, article length 4 times the width, separated by very narrow necks, covered with minute hooked hairs; seeds linear-oblong, 12 mm × 2 mm. In New Guinea, D. ormocarpoides is found at altitudes up to 1800 m, in savanna, scrubland, forest edges, plantations and roadsides.
Selected sources
533, 597, 752, 1069, 1126, 1520.
Authors
N. Setyowati-Indarto & M. Brink