Chonemorpha verrucosa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Chonemorpha verrucosa (Blume) D.J.Middleton

Protologue: Apocynaceae

Synonyms

Chonemorpha elastica Merr., Rhynchodia rhynchosperma (Wall.) K.Schum., R. verrucosa (Blume) Woodson.

Vernacular names

• Peninsular Malaysia: kedamba
• Philippines: goma, lisid (Apayao)
• Thailand: mok khruea (central).

Distribution

India, Bhutan, China, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Uses

The latex yields a high quality rubber which used to fetch a high price and was extensively collected, for example in the southern Philippines, particularly in the Sulu Archipelago.

Observations

Big woody liana, up to 70 m long. Leaves opposite; petiole up to 2 cm long; blade elliptical to obovate, 9-24 cm × 4-12 cm, rounded to cuneate at base, apex sharp acuminate to caudate, papery to coriaceous. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, 3-10 cm long; flowers 5-merous, white, fragrant; corolla tubular, tube 4-7 mm long, lobes 7-14 mm long. Fruit a pair of follicles, each one thin cylindrical, about 15 cm × 0.5 cm. Seed with a long beak and topped with a coma. C. verrucosa occurs in forests and thickets, up to 1500 m altitude. A sample of the latex from the Philippines contained 92% rubber and about 4% of resin; it was not very sticky but had good elasticity and tenacity.

Selected sources

10, 11, 27, 34, 42.