Carallia suffruticosa (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Carallia suffruticosa Ridley
- Protologue: Journ. Roy. As. Soc. Straits Br. 61: 6 (1912).
- Family: Rhizophoraceae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Synonyms
Carallia fascicularis Guill. (1914).
Vernacular names
- Malaysia: sisek puyu, meransi, redip pepuyoh (Peninsular)
- Vietnam: săng mả, răng cưa.
Origin and geographic distribution
C. suffruticosa occurs in southern Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia (Perak, Terengganu, Selangor).
Uses
In Peninsular Malaysia, an infusion of C. suffruticosa leaves is used internally against worms and cough, and after childbirth, whereas a decoction of the leaves is employed in a bath to treat fever. Pulped leaves are applied externally to boils. In Vietnam, the wood is used as fuel.
C. brachiata (Lour.) Merr. is also used in local medicine, e.g. the bark to treat itch, but it is mainly valued for its timber and fuelwood.
Properties
There is no information on phytochemistry and properties of C. suffruticosa , but alkaloids, mainly (+)-hygrolin, have been identified in C. brachiata leaves.
Botany
A shrub up to 3 m tall. Leaves decussately opposite, simple, elliptical-oblong, 10-18 cm × 3-6.5 cm, cuneate or sometimes rounded at base, acuminate at apex, distinctly fimbriate-dentate at margins, with 8-13 pairs of secondary veins, black-dotted beneath; petiole 1-1.5 cm long; stipules lanceolate, up to 1 cm long. Inflorescence an axillary cyme up to 1.5 cm long, with peduncle up to 0.5 cm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, whitish or reddish, with persistent bracteoles at base; calyx 5-7-lobed, with lanceolate lobes 3-4 mm long; petals 5-8, free, sagittate, unguiculate, c. 4 mm long; stamens twice the number of petals, free, 3-4 mm long, the ones opposite the petals longer; ovary inferior, 1-celled, style filiform, c. 4.5 mm long, stigma discoid. Fruit an ellipsoid berry c. 1.5 cm long, dark red, crowned by the remains of the floral parts, 1-seeded. Seed oblong, slightly curved, c. 1 cm long, brown.
Carallia comprises about 15 species, and occurs in Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka and throughout South-East Asia to the Solomon Islands and northern Australia.
Ecology
C. suffruticosa occurs in lowland forest.
Genetic resources
C. suffruticosa has a limited area of distribution and is rare in Peninsular Malaysia. It may well be liable to genetic erosion, or even extinction.
Prospects
The uses of C. suffruticosa are limited and it is an uncommon species. Therefore, it seems very unlikely that its utilization will increase.
Literature
121, 247.
Other selected sources
250, 331, 883, 990.
Main genus page
Authors
Marfu’ah Wardani
