Austroeupatorium inulaefolium (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Austroeupatorium inulaefolium (Kunth) R.M. King & H. Robinson

Family: Compositae

Synonyms

• Eupatorium pallescens DC. Inulaefolium is often misspelled inulifolium.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: ki rinyuh, ki papatong, babanjaran (Sundanese).

Distribution

Of South American origin (Brazil). It has been found in Java since about 1900; it is occasionally cultivated in South-East Asia.

Uses

A. inulaefolium is used as a hedge plant and to check erosion on slopes. It suppresses Imperata grass and can be used as a ground cover in Pinus merkusii Junghuhn & de Vriese, cinchona and tea plantations.

Observations

• Strongly branched perennial shrub, 2-6 m tall with hairy stem.
• Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, margin toothed-serrate.
• Inflorescence terminal, many-headed; head short-pedunculate, 7-9-flowered, involucre with oblong-ovate scales, 2-3-seriate.

A. inulaefolium is found from 200-1800 m altitude. Flowering occurs throughout the year. It can be propagated by cuttings. It is reported to contain pyrrolizidine, a probably hepatotoxic alkaloid causing death in cattle in Sumatra.

Selected sources

• Backer, C.A. & van Slooten, D.F., 1924. Geïllustreerd handboek der Javaansche theeonkruiden en hunne beteekenis voor de cultuur [Illustrated handbook of the weeds of Javanese tea plantations and their significance for tea-growing]. Ruygrok, Batavia, Dutch East Indies. 308 pp.
• Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, the Hague, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 261, 1450 pp.
• Murdiati, T. & Stoltz, D.R., 1987. Investigation of suspected plant poisoning of North Sumatran cattle. Penyakit Hewan 19 (34): 101-105.
• Suharlan, A., Bustomi, S. & Harbagung, 1982. Hubungan antara bidang dasar pohon, tinggi pohon dan jarak antara pohon dengan produksi getah Pinus merkusii di daerah KPH Pekalongan Barat dan KPH Pekalongan Timur [The relationship between tree basal area, height, and spacing to gum production of Pinus merkusii in the West and East Pekalongan forest districts]. Laporan Balai Penelitian Hutan 401: 1-20.

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef & L.J.G. van der Maesen