Rhus chinensis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Rhus chinensis Miller

Protologue: Gard. Dict. ed. 8: sub n. 7 (1768).

Family: Anacardiaceae

• Rhus semialata Murray (1784),
• Rhus javanica auct. non L.

• Chinese gall, nutgall (En), Chinese sumac (Am)
• Indonesia: batu babru, kayu pora, martipos (Sumatra)
• Thailand: sung, ma liam hin, som phot (northern)
• Vietnam: muối, ngũ bội, diêm phu mộc.

Widely distributed in temperate and subtropical Asia, India, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand to Indo-China, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands and Japan; in Malesia indigenous in Sumatra and cultivated in Java.

In Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia, the leaf galls imported from China are used in traditional Chinese medicine as an astringent and styptic, and also in poultices to cure sores. In Java, they are an ingredient of several "jamus" apparently for their astringent properties. In Vietnam, the leaf galls are used as an astringent and prescribed in diarrhoea and sometimes paralysis. The fruits are edible and used as a condiment. In India, the fruits are used in the treatment of colic, intestinal worms and dysentery and an infusion is drunk for diarrhoea. In China, the dried galls are applied to treat burns.

• A small tree or shrub, 4-12 m tall, stem 6-18 cm in diameter.
• Leaves imparipinnate with 4-6 pairs of leaflets, rachis 10-30 cm long, winged or not, petiole 8-11 cm long, leaflets ovate-oblong, ovate or lanceolate, 5-15 cm × 2.5-8 cm, base unequal, cuneate, apex acute or acuminate, crenate-dentate, lower surface tomentose and distinctly papillose, without domatia.
• Inflorescence usually terminal, paniculate, up to 15-20 cm (female) or 30-40 cm long (male), branches up to 25 cm long.
• Flowers unisexual, white or pale yellow-green, calyx lobes triangular, petals broadly elliptical or oblong, about 2 mm × 1-1.5 mm, stamens 2 mm long, staminodes 1-1.5 mm long, ovary globose, densely puberulous.
• Drupe subglobose, about 5 mm diameter, densely puberulous, exocarp separating from mesocarp in ripe fruits.

R. chinensis is found in primary and secondary forest and thickets from 900-1200 m altitude.

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• Rhus

• S. Aggarwal