Wissadula periplocifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Wissadula periplocifolia (L.) K. Presl ex Thwaites

Family: Malvaceae

Synonyms

Abutilon periplocifolium (L.) Sweet, Sida periplocifolia L.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: bulung-bulung pager (eastern Sumatra), nyung-nyungan (Kangean)
• Thailand: khaao tom, chan nok, se-saa-boh.

Distribution

Pantropical. Cultivated as a fibre crop in India and Sri Lanka.

Uses

The bast fibre is comparable in quality to that of kenaf ( Hibiscus cannabinus L.) and is spinnable. In India the branches are used to make brooms.

Observations

An annual or perennial subshrub, 0.5-1 m tall, more or less branched, stellate-pubescent, hairs frequently stipitate. Leaves simple, alternate; stipules filiform, 2-5 mm long; petiole 0.5-7 cm long; blade long-triangular, ovate or lanceolate, 3-15 cm × 0.5-7 cm, base shallowly cordate to truncate, apex long-acuminate to acute, mucronate, 5-veined. Flowers solitary, axillary; upper flowers in large, lax, terminal panicles, 20-80 cm long, pedicel thin, jointed, 1-4.5 cm long, accrescent in fruit to about 8 cm; calyx widely campanulate, 3-4 mm in diameter, 5-fid; corolla 9-13 mm in diameter, with 5 obovate petals, pale yellow with dark yellow veins, rarely white. Fruit an obconical schizocarp, 7-10 mm in diameter. Seed obconical to globose, about 2.5 mm in diameter, densely set with long simple hairs. W. periplocifolia occurs in waste places, roadsides and secondary vegetation.

Selected sources

6, 20, 30, 57, 66, 71, 189.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch