Ardisia oxyphylla (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ardisia oxyphylla Wallich ex A.DC.

Protologue: Trans. Linn. Soc. 17: 119 (1834).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: mata itek, temuras, bujong samalam bukit (Peninsular)
• Thailand: ta kai (peninsular).

Distribution

Burma (Myanmar), south-western and peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.

Uses

In Peninsular Malaysia the leaves are used as a poultice to treat swellings and ulcers. In Thailand the bark is used to treat dysentery, and bark and wood to treat menstrual disorders.

Observations

A shrub up to 3 m tall, sometimes a small tree up to 6 m tall, completely glabrous; leaves elliptical to oblong-oblanceolate, 8-23 cm × 3.5-7 cm, with numerous black glandular dots, secondary veins numerous and fine; inflorescence a short usually axillary raceme; corolla 6-7 mm long, reddish-purple; fruit c. 7 mm in diameter, with numerous black dots. A. oxyphylla occurs in evergreen forest up to 1400 m altitude.

Selected sources

121, 249, 840, 990.

Main genus page

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Authors

R.H.M.J. Lemmens