Lantana trifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Lantana trifolia L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 2: 626 (1753).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: tahi ayam (general), puyengan (Javanese), mandakaki (Sundanese)
• Malaysia: bunga pagar puteh (Peninsular)
• Thailand: phakaa krong.

Distribution

Native to the West Indies and South America, common in tropical Africa and introduced and naturalized in India, Peninsular Malaysia and Java.

Uses

In Malaysia and South America L. trifolia is used in a similar way as L. camara . In Burundi it is also applied to treat theileriasis in livestock.

Observations

• An erect shrub up to 3 m tall, stems angular, with white hairs but not prickly, faintly aromatic.
• Leaves mostly in whorls of 3, sometimes opposite or 4-whorled, oblong-lanceolate to elliptical-lanceolate, 5-12 cm × 2-6 cm, petiole 5-12 cm long.
• Inflorescence spicate, subcapitate when young, later elongated to 5 cm long.
• Flowers with a corolla tube extending to 7 mm long during anthesis, pink, lavender, purple or white.
• Fruit a sweet, juicy drupe, globose or obovate, purplish-red or white.

L. trifolia occurs in open disturbed habitats from sea-level to 800 m altitude, prefering dry thickets.

Selected sources

• [92] Backer, C.A., 1928-1934. Onkruidflora der Javasche suikerrietgronden. Handboek ten dienste van de suikerriet-cultuur en de rietsuiker-fabricage op Java [Weed flora of Javanese sugar-cane fields. Handbook for the cultivation of sugar-cane and manufacturing of cane-sugar in Java]. Vereeniging het Proefstation voor de Java-Suikerindustrie, Pasuruan, Indonesia. 4 volumes. 970 pp.
• [97] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [101] Baerts, M. & Lehmann, J. 1991. Plantes médicinales vétérinaires de la région des Crêtes Zaire-Nil au Burundi. [Veterinary medicinal plants of the region of Cretes Zaire-Nil in Burundi]. Annalen Economische Wetenschappen-Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika 21. 133 pp.
• [202] 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.
• [968] Moldencke, H.N., 1940. Verbenaceae. In: Pulle, A. (Editor): Flora of Suriname. Vol 4(2). Koninklijke Vereniging Koloniaal Instituut, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Mededeeling No 30. Afdeling Handelsmuseum No 11. pp. 257-321.
• [979] Morton, J.F., 1981. Atlas of medicinal plants of Middle America. Bahamas to Yucatan. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, United States. 1420 pp.
• [1267] Rwangabo, P.C., Claeys, M., Pieters, L., Corthout, J., Berghe, D.A.V. & Vlietinck, A.J., 1988. Umuhengerin, a new antimicrobially active flavonoid from Lantana trifolia. Journal of Natural Products 51(5): 966-968.
• [1505] van Puyvelde, L., Geiser, I., Rwangabo, P.C. & Sebikali, B., 1983. Rwandese herbal remedies used against gonorrhoea. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 8(3): 279-286.

Main genus page

• Lantana (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Florentina Indah Windadri & J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg