Agrostistachys sessilifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Agrostistachys sessilifolia (Kurz) Pax & K. Hoffm.

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: julong-julong, nulong, nyonyolong.

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo.

Uses

The leaves are used for thatching and wrapping.

Observations

A dioecious shrub, up to 6 m tall, with grey bark. Leaves alternate to distichous to spiral; stipules triangular, late caducous; petiole 2-5 mm long; blade linear to obovate, 25-55 cm × 7-9.5 cm, base emarginate to rounded, margin entire to crenulate, apex acuminate to cuspidate. Inflorescence a bracteate spike, axillary, single, up to 60 cm long; male flowers about 4 mm × 2 mm, sepals 2 or 3, petals 5, stamens 8-10 in 2 whorls; female flowers about 3 mm × 3 mm, sepals 5, petals 2-2.5 mm long. Fruit a crustaceous capsule, up to 1 cm in diameter. A. sessilifolia occurs in shaded areas in forests at altitudes up to 150 m. Flowering and fruiting is year-round. The fruits are eaten by birds. The distribution of the related species A. borneensis Becc. and A. gaudichaudii Müll. Arg. overlaps with that of A. sessilifolia . The same vernacular names apply to all three species and confusion of the species in the older literature is likely.

Selected sources

20, 153, 163.

Authors

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