Daphne composita (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Daphne composita (L.f.) Gilg

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Synonyms

Daphne javanica Thunb., D. pendula Sm., Eriosolena composita (L.f.) van Tiegh.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: kakapasan (Sundanese), ki-salam (Javanese), kulei manis rimbo (Sumatra)
• Thailand: khem khao pa (northern), mueat soi (north-eastern)
• Vietnam: dó kép.

Distribution

India, Burma (Myanmar), southern China (Yunnan), Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, West Java and Borneo.

Uses

The bark is used as binding material, e.g. in Java. In central Vietnam the leaves and stems yield a decoction which, though toxic, is used medicinally.

Observations

A shrub or small tree, up to 10 m tall, trunk up to 16 cm in diameter. Leaves spirally arranged, sometimes subopposite; petiole 3-5 mm long; blade elliptical-oblong to lanceolate, (3.5-)7-14(-20) cm × (1.5-)2-5 cm, base attenuate, apex acuminate, with 9-14 pairs of veins. Inflorescence axillary, solitary, very rarely 2 per axil; peduncle 2.5-6.5 cm long, (4-)7-12-flowered; flowers 10-15 mm long, sessile, fragrant; calyx lobes convolute, 2 longer and 2 shorter, lanceolate or ovate-oblong, rarely oblong, 2-4 mm × 1 mm; corolla tube cylindrical, white or light yellow; stamens 8, sessile or sub-sessile, anthers linear 1-1.5 mm long; ovary ellipsoid, densely hairy. Fruit an ellipsoid or ovoid drupe, 10-15 mm × 5 mm, black or red. Seed with crustaceous testa. D. composita is found in the undergrowth of rainforest at (900-)1200-2000 m altitude. In West Java it flowers throughout the year, in Indo-China from December to February.

Selected sources

6, 20, 47, 49, 50, 71.

Authors

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