Clusia minor (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Clusia minor L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 1: 510 (1753).

Clusia odorata Seem. (1853).

Widespread in tropical America; occasionally planted elsewhere in the tropics.

In tropical America, the gum is used in ointments to treat sores. It acts as a drastic purgative. A decoction of dried flowers is used as a pectoral to treat chest complaints. The latex is also used for caulking boats. C. minor is occasionally planted as an ornamental, e.g. in Malaysia.

A shrub to small tree up to 7 m tall, sometimes epiphytic, branchlets with exfoliating bark; leaves ovate, membranous or thinly coriaceous, apically obtuse to acute, with numerous lateral veins, petiole rather slender; flowers solitary or few together, petals c. 1.5 cm long, white or pink; fruit ovoid, 2.5-3.5 cm long. In its natural area of distribution, C. minor occurs most commonly in forests in areas with a seasonally dry climate.

71, 121, 188, 586, 646.

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R.E. Nasution