Flemingia strobilifera (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Flemingia strobilifera (L.) Roxb. ex W.T. Aiton

Protologue: Hort. Kew., ed. 2, 4: 350 (1812).

Synonyms

• Hedysarium strobiliferum L. (1753),
• Moghania strobilifera (L.) J. St.-Hil. ex O. Kuntze (1891).

Vernacular names

• Brunei: ringan, ringan, pancar angin (Senkurong)
• Indonesia: apa-apa kebo, gatak (Javanese), hahapaan (Sundanese)
• Papua New Guinea: arana (Rabagi, East New Britain Province), rara (Guanantuna, East New Britain Province), aafec (Keregia, Morobe Province)
• Philippines: payang-payang (Tagalog), piragan (Sulu), gangan (Samar Leyte Bisya)
• Thailand: khee dang (north-eastern), ngon kai (northern), nhut phra (peninsular)
• Vietnam: tóp mỡ bông to, duôi chồn.

Distribution

F. strobilifera is distributed from India, eastward to southern China and throughout South-East Asia; widely grown in the tropics and extensively naturalized in the Pacific.

Uses

In Peninsular Malaysia and Vietnam, a decoction or infusion of the leaves is given as a post-partum medicine. In Brunei, Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, the plant is also used for bathing after childbirth. It is further used as a lotion to relieve rheumatism. In the Philippines, a decoction or infusion of leaves and flowers is prescribed in tuberculosis. In Java and Papua New Guinea, the leaves are employed both externally and internally as an anthelmintic for children. In East New Britain, one seed a month is chewed by women as a contraceptive. In India and Burma (Myanmar), the root is used to treat epilepsy. In India, the roots are also employed to induce sleep, relieve pain and for epilepsy. In Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, flowers are credited with magical powers. They are rubbed on the legs of a baby in the belief it will assist it to walk. Likewise the flowers are rubbed on the mouth to assist speech development. In Brunei, twigs are used to beat children’ legs to strengthen the joints. Leaves are also used as cattle feed. F. strobilifera is occasionally grown as an ornamental.

Observations

• An erect shrub up to 3 m tall, branches cylindrical.
• Leaves 1-foliolate, petiole (0.2-)1-2.5 cm long, leaflets ovate-elliptical to lanceolate, (3-)7-13(-20) cm × (1.5-)3-7(-12) cm, base obtuse, apex obtuse to acuminate, pubescent underneath.
• Inflorescence composed of short axillary racemes, hidden by bracts, 10-18 cm long, bracts foliaceous, folded, (1.2-)2(-3.5) cm long, emarginate, bracteoles present or not.
• Calyx pubescent, corolla standard obovate, wings narrow, yellowish-green to white.
• Pod oblong, 7-12 mm × 5-7 mm, velutinous, 2-seeded.
• Seed orbicular, 2(-4) mm in diameter, brown or black.

F. strobilifera is found in teak forest, scrub, savanna, grasslands, and as a weed in plantations and open dry waste places up to 1300 m altitude. F. strobilifera is not uncommonly confused with Phyllodium pulchellum (L.) Desv., also used as a post-partum medicine.

Selected sources

• [74] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1964—1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1964) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [135] 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.
• [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.
• [418] Holdsworth, D.K., 1977. Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea. Technical Paper No 175. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 123 pp.
• [511] Kasahara, S. & Hemmi, S. (Editors), 1995. Medicinal herb index in Indonesia. 2nd Edition. P.T. Eisai Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia. 453 pp.
• [662] Matthew, K.M., 1981—1988. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic. 4 volumes. The Rapinat Herbarium, St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli, India.
• [667] Mehra, K.L., Wulijarni-Soetjipto, N. & Supardiyono, E.K., 1985. Indonesian economic resources: legume and other forage plants. Seri Sumber Daya Alam 124. Lembaga Biologi Nasional - LIPI, Bogor, Indonesia. 51 pp.
• [786] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• [810] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• [1038] Verdcourt, B., 1979. A manual of New Guinea legumes. Botany Bulletin No 11. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 645 pp.

Main genus page

• Flemingia

Authors

• L.J.G. van der Maesen