Artabotrys suaveolens (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Artabotrys suaveolens (Blume) Blume

Protologue: Fl. Javae 28-29: 62, t. 30, t. 31d (1830).

Synonyms

• Unona suaveolens Blume (1825).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: akar chenana, akar larak
• Philippines: susong-kalabau, susong-damulag (Tagalog), bahai-balagan (Cebu Bisaya).
• Thailand : aa-kaa-kai (peninsular).

Distribution

From north-eastern India, Burma (Myanmar), throughout the Malay Peninsula to Indonesia and the Philippines.

Uses

In the Philippines, a decoction of the bark and roots is prescribed as an emmenagogue and for women after parturition. In Indonesia and India a decoction or infusion of the leaves is used against cholera. Plants are used as living fences in Bali (Indonesia), the young leaves are grazed by cattle.

Observations

• A scandent shrub or climber up to 25 m tall; young twigs with many fine appressed brown hairs.
• Leaves elliptical, 5-18 cm × 2-6 cm, base cuneate, apex obtuse, long-acuminate, petiole very slender, 0.5-1 cm long.
• Inflorescence many-flowered, consisting of up to 3-5-flowered fascicles on a recurved hook-like peduncle.
• Sepals broadly ovate, united at base, petals 6, outer petals up to 1.5 cm long, inner petals shorter, all densely appressed hairy, creamy white or yellow, carpels 4-5.
• Monocarp ellipsoid, obtuse, 2.5-3.5 cm long, yellow.

A. suaveolens is found in dry thickets, secondary forest and primary forest from 100-800 m altitude.

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.
• [216] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1985. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. Revised Edition. Vol. 1. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India. 513 pp.
• [407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [522] Kessler, P.J.A., 1993. Annonaceae. In: Kubitzki, K., Rohwer, J.G. & Bittrich, V. (Editors): The families and genera of vascular plants. Vol. 2. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. pp. 93—129.
• [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.

Main genus page

• Artabotrys

Authors

• N.O. Aguilar