Leea macrophylla (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Leea macrophylla Roxb. ex Hornem.

Protologue: Hort. bot. hafn. 1: 231 (1813).

Family: Leeaceae

Synonyms

• Leea robusta Roxb. (1814),
• Leea latifolia Wallich ex Kurz (1875),
• Leea parallela Wallich ex Laws. (1875).

Vernacular names

• Thailand: phayaa raak lo (central), khueang huu chaang (northern), suea nang rom (south-western).

Distribution

India, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and Indo-China.

Uses

In India, the roots are credited with anodyne properties. They are externally applied to wounds and sores and used for guineaworm and ringworm. They are also taken for dysentery and for diarrhoea in cattle. Locally the root paste is consumed with a glass of milk as a single monthly dose for birth control. It is planted in Sri Lanka for the astringent properties of the root. The root contains a red colouring agent for cloth. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable and the fruits are edible.

Observations

• A herb, shrub, or sometimes a tree, young twigs pubescent, often appearing mealy.
• Leaves 1-foliolate, 3-foliolate or 1-3-pinnate, leaflets 7-21(-numerous), rachis (0-)10-15(-40) cm long, petiole up to 20 cm long, stipules obovate, 2-6 cm × 1-4 cm, leaflet in 1-foliolate specimens broadly ovate, 20-65 cm × 15-60 cm, base cordate, apex acuminate, margin serrate, in pinnate specimens variable, ovate to ovate-lanceolate or elliptical to elliptical-lanceolate, (8-)14-26(-35) cm × (2-)4-8(-14) cm, base rounded to sub-cordate, apex acuminate, margin sinuate to repand or serrate.
• Cyme 12-45(-60) cm long, broad, multi-branched, somewhat lax, finely mealy pubescent, bracts deltoid to narrowly triangular, up to 6 mm long.
• Flowers greenish-white, calyx about 1.5-3 mm × 2.5-4 mm, mealy pubescent, staminodial tube 1.5-2 mm long, upper free part 1.3-1.8 mm long, lobes slightly retuse or shallowly cleft, sinuses 1.3-1.8 mm deep, ovary 6-celled.
• Berry 10-15 mm in diameter, 6-seeded.
• Seed 4 mm × 3 mm.

L. macrophylla is a complex species with a variety of forms, that are probably ecological. It is found in open vegetation, dry forest and teak forest, particularly forest borders and regrowth, from sea-level up to 2250 m altitude. It may well be cultivated in Malesia.

Selected sources

• [201] Chuakul, W., Saralamp, P., Paonil, W., Temsiririrkkul, R. & Clayton, T. (Editors), 1997. Medicinal plants in Thailand. Vol. II. Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. 248 pp.
• [215] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948—1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.

Main genus page

• Leea

Authors

• Tahan Uji