Chonemorpha fragrans (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Chonemorpha fragrans (Moon) Alston

Family: Apocynaceae

Synonyms

Chonemorpha macrophylla (Roxb.) G. Don

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: bangi, plumbangan (Javanese), baneh (Madurese)
• Malaysia: akar gerit-gerit merah, akar gerip merah.

Distribution

India, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), southern China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Uses

The bark contains a high-quality fibre, which is durable in both fresh- and salt water and is made into fishing nets, e.g. in East Java. The stem yields latex from which rubber of varying quality can be obtained. C. fragrans is cultivated as an ornamental for the handsome sweet-scented flowers.

Observations

A liana up to 30 m long, often clinging to trees. Leaves opposite; petiole up to 2 cm long; blade suborbicular to broadly ovate, 15-45 cm × 13-45 cm, base cordate, apex acute or rounded, cuspidate, lateral veins 10-12 pairs. Inflorescence a terminal cyme; calyx tubular, about 1 cm long, 5-toothed; corolla white, tube 3.5-4.5 cm long, dilated at base, limb up to 8 cm wide, lobes obliquely obovate, about 3.5 cm long, glabrous outside, throat villous. Fruit a pair of cylindrical to fusiform follicles, each up to 30 cm × 2 cm. Seed oblong, coma about 5 cm long. C. fragrans occurs in dense montane forest. In Sri Lanka it occurs at altitudes up to 800 m in primary forest but is more abundant in lowland secondary forest. Flowering is from March to May in Sri Lanka, and from May to July in southern China. In East Java the fibre of C. fragrans is obtained by exposing the stems to the sun, after which the bark is peeled off and the fibres are isolated from the bark. Collection of the latex is difficult because it coagulates rapidly. Chonemorphine, a steroidal alkaloid isolated from the roots of C. fragrans , has shown in vivo anti-amoebic properties.

Selected sources

6, 20, 22, 30, 39, 71, 109, 117, 154, 201.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch