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<big>''[[Scaevola taccada]]'' (Gaertner) Roxb.</big>
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:Protologue: Fl. ind. 2:146 (1824)
== Synonyms ==
*''Lobelia taccada'' Gaertner (1788), *''Scaevola sericea'' Vahl (1791), *''Scaevola frutescens'' Krause (1912).
== Vernacular names ==
*Thailand: bong bong, rak thale (peninsular), ho raa (south-eastern)
*Vietnam: hếp, sơn dương.
== Origin and geographic distribution ==
A general phytochemical screening of the leaves, bark and flowers of ''S. taccada'' gave no positive tests for alkaloids. Leaves were positive for saponins, as well as coumarins. In the literature, there is occasional mention of the presence of an alkaloid scaevolin.
Furthermore, in an in vitro assay, an acetonitrile extract of the leaves showed selective antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 and vesicular stomatitis virus.
== Description ==
*An erect spreading shrub or small tree up to 4(-7) m tall; branchlets terete. Leaves alternate, the majority crowded at the end of the branches, spathulate to obovate, 12-26 cm × 5-10 cm, base attenuate, apex blunt to rounded, margin entire, sinuate to dentate, herbaceous to thin-fleshy, glabrous to shortly tomentose, sessile; stipules absent. Inflorescence axillary, cymose, laxly branched, about 4 cm long, few-flowered, bracts persistent, peduncle 0.5-2 cm long. Flowers 5-merous, zygomorphic, 2-2.5 cm long, scentless, white to pale yellow, pedicel 0.3-1.2 cm long, glabrous to densely appressed hairy; calyx adnate to the ovary, lobes linear to narrowly elliptical, 0.2-0.5 cm long, persistent; corolla glabrous to pubescent outside, densely pubescent inside, tube 0.5-1 cm long, lobes membranous, fimbriate towards the base, about 0.5 cm long; ovary inferior, 2-celled, style faintly pubescent at base. Fruit a fleshy drupe, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, faintly 2-lobed and ribbed, pellucid-white when ripe, stone 0.8 cm × 0.6 cm, 2-seeded. Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons emergent, fleshy; hypocotyl elongated.
== Growth and development ==