Ochrosia oppositifolia (PROSEA)
 |
Introduction |
Ochrosia oppositifolia (Lamk) K. Schum.
- Protologue: Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(2): 156 (1895).
Synonyms
Ochrosia salubris (Raf.) Blume (1850), Ochrosia borbonica auct. non J.F. Gmelin, Neisosperma oppositifolia (Lamk) Fosberg & Sachet (1977).
Vernacular names
- Bois jaune (Fr)
- Indonesia: upas laki-laki (Malay, Moluccas), songgo langit (Javanese), lau lite (Ambon)
- Philippines: ginlin (Sulu)
- Vietnam: chai lang, chai bông.
Distribution
O. oppositifolia is found throughout South-East Asia, on the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the coast of tropical Asia.
Uses
In Vietnam, bark, wood and leaves are credited with febrifugal and stomachic properties.
Observations
A shrub or tree up to 45 m tall, trunk up to 50 cm in diameter; leaves in whorls of 3-4(-5), usually obovate, rarely elliptical, (4.5-)8-36 cm × (1.5-)3-18 cm, base decurrent onto the petiole, apex often rounded to obtuse, sometimes apiculate, rarely truncate or shallowly retuse, petiole 1-6.5 cm long; inflorescence axillary and terminal cyme, in whorls of 2-4, peduncle 0.5-13.5 cm long, congested, many-flowered; flowers fragrant, pedicellate, sepals ovate, 1-2.2 mm × 0.7-1.6 mm, obtuse, thick, green, corolla tube (4-)5-10(-12) mm long, corolla lobes narrowlyelliptical, (4-)5-9(12) mm × 2-3 mm, stamens included; fruit consisting of 2 separate mericarps, mericarps ellipsoid or ovoid, 5-8 cm × 3-5.5 cm, mesocarp fibrous, united with the stone, green and turning yellow when ripe; seed suborbicular to elliptical, 25 mm × 20 mm, thin, winged. O. oppositifolia is found along the seashore, in coastal forest, less often inland, often on limestone, but not in the mangrove.
Selected sources
74, 117, 133, 672, 730, 786.
Authors
J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg & R. Hendrian