Catunaregam tomentosa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Catunaregam tomentosa (Blume ex DC.) Tirveng.

Protologue: Taxon 27(5/6): 515 (1979).

Synonyms

Randia tomentosa (Blume ex DC.) Hook.f. (1880) non Wight & Arnott, Randia dasycarpa (Kurz) Bakh.f. (1965), Xeromphis tomentosa (Blume ex DC.) Yamazaki (1970).

Vernacular names

• Cambodia: lovieng
• Thailand: ka thaeng (general), khet (Chiang Mai), khlet (central, Kanchanaburi)
• Vietnam: găng, găng bọt, găng trắng.

Distribution

Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, Thailand, northern Peninsular Malaysia and Java (rare).

Uses

In Indo-China, the leaves are considered cooling and diuretic and are prescribed against oliguria and dysuria. The fruits are used in Cambodia for washing the hair and clothes, undoubtedly because of the presence of saponins. The wood is used to make combs, and the plant is often planted in fences.

Observations

A spiny large shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall; leaves densely ferruginous-tomentose beneath; flowers 8-10-merous, white; fruit globose, 2.5-4 cm in diameter, velvety brown. C. tomentosa occurs on dry, bare soils, also in burned savannas.

Selected sources

62, 121, 671.

Main genus page

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Authors

R.H.M.J. Lemmens