Calycopteris floribunda (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Calycopteris floribunda (Roxb.) Lamk
- Protologue: Encycl., Suppl. 2: 41 (1811).
- Family: Combretaceae
- Chromosome number: 2n= 48
Synonyms
Getonia floribunda Roxb. (1798), Calycopteris nutans (Roxb.) Kurz (1877).
Vernacular names
- Malaysia: pelawas (Peninsular)
- Cambodia: ksouohs, ta suos, qgnu
- Laos: dok ka deng, ngouang ‘soum
- Thailand: kruut (Surat Thani), khaao tok taek (central), nuai sut (peninsular)
- Vietnam: dây chưng cheo, dây dầu mầu, cây bù nhơn.
Origin and geographic distribution
C. floribunda is distributed from India and Burma (Myanmar), through Indo-China and Thailand, to Peninsular Malaysia (Langkawi Island, Pinang, Pahang).
Uses
A poultice of the leaves has been used in Peninsular Malaysia to treat headache. In Cambodia, the leaves are considered tonic and depurative; a decoction is administered to women after childbirth. In India, the leaves are used as an anthelmintic and to treat colic and dyspepsia. Juice from young twigs is used against diarrhoea and dysentery, and the fruits to treat jaundice. The bark is crushed with water and the solution is given to cattle suffering from worms.
The leaves have also been used as cigarette-paper. In India, the stem is cut to get drinking water in the forest.
Properties
The biflavonoids calycopterone, isocalycopterone and 4-demethylcalycopterone and the flavone 4’,5-dihydroxy-3,3’,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone were isolated from the flowers; the first three of these compounds showed a wide range of activity against a panel of solid human tumour cell lines. Quercetin and calycopterin have also been identified in the flowers. Calycopterin is the major flavonol in the leaves. Other flavonoids found in the leaves include neocalycopterone, neocalycopterone-4-methyl ether, calyflorenone A, calyflorenone B and quercetin.
Botany
A large scandent shrub or liana, up to 10 m long; young branchlets densely fulvous-tomentellous. Leaves opposite, ovate to narrowly elliptical, 6-17 cm × 2-7 cm, entire, densely fulvous-tomentellous particularly below; petiole 0.5-1 cm long; stipules absent. Inflorescence an axillary and terminal panicle. Flowers bisexual, yellowish-green, about 1 cm long; receptacle divided into a lower and upper part; calyx with 5 accrescent lobes; petals absent; stamens 10, in 2 whorls, inserted within the upper receptacle; disk cupular; ovary inferior, 1-locular, style subulate. Fruit an ellipsoid, 5-gonous and 5-furrowed pseudocarp, c. 8 mm long, densely villous, crowned by enlarged, up to 1.5 cm long calyx-lobes, 1-seeded. Seed 5-6 mm long.
The plants often have galls, caused by thrips.
C. floribunda is the only species in the genus Calycopteris .
Ecology
In Peninsular Malaysia, C. floribunda occurs in mixed forest, often along river banks. In Cambodia, it is locally common in forest edges and in regrowth after deforestation. It may have a shrubby habit, for instance inside the forest, but it may become a liana when more light is available, climbing into the trees.
Genetic resources
Although C. floribunda occurs only very locally in the Malesian region (Peninsular Malaysia), it is widespread and locally common elsewhere in mainland South-East Asia. It does not seem to be liable to genetic erosion, the more so because it often occurs in secondary habitats.
Prospects
C. floribunda deserves more attention in research, being a source of compounds with antitumour activity.
Literature
247, 250, 610, 976.
Other selected sources
121, 302.
Main genus page
Authors
R.H.M.J. Lemmens
