Leea rubra (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Leea rubra Blume ex Spreng.

Protologue: Syst. veg. 1: 670 (1824).

Synonyms

Leea polyphylla Miq. (1859), Leea brunoniana Clarke (1881), Leea linearifolia Clarke (1881).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: ginggijan beureum (Sundanese), girang (Javanese)
• Malaysia: mali-mali puchok merah
• Thailand: katangbai (Bangkok), khueang (central)
• Vietnam: gối hạc tía, phí tử, cu chói.

Distribution

From India, Burma (Myanmar) throughout South-East Asia, to northern Australia.

Uses

In Peninsular Malaysia, the ground root mixed with arsenic is externally applied as a poultice against yaws, while the sap of the plant is drunk simultaneously. In Java, the leaves are externally applied for poulticing wounds, the fruits are eaten as a remedy against yaws and dysentery. In Indo-China, a decoction or tincture of the root is taken against stomach-ache, rheumatism and arthritis. In Thailand, the roots are used as an antipyretic and diaphoretic.

Observations

A small semi-herbaceous shrub, up to 3 m tall; leaves 2-4-pinnate, leaflets numerous, rachis (2.5-)5-25(-42) cm long, petiole 2-8(-15) cm long, stipules a narrow wing, 2-4 cm × 0.3-0.5 cm, leaflets ovate to ovate-oblong or elliptical to elliptical-lanceolate, (2-)4-8(-14) cm × (0.3-)1.5-4(-6) cm, base rounded to acute, apex acute to shortly acuminate, margin crenate to shallowly serrate, pearl-glands apparently absent; cyme (4-)8-14(-16) cm long, generally compact, rusty pubescent, bracts deltoid-triangular, inconspicuous; flowers bright red, calyx 2-2.5 mm × 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous, staminodial tube about 1-2 mm long, upper free part 1-1.3 mm long, lobes shallowly retuse or cleft, sinuses deep, ovary 4-6-celled; berry 8-10 mm in diameter, dark red, 6-seeded; seed 4 mm × 4 mm. L. rubra is found in dry monsoon forest, savanna and secondary vegetation from sea-level up to 500 m altitude.

Selected sources

• 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.

407, 739, 949.

Authors

Tahan Uji