Dendrocnide sinuata (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Dendrocnide sinuata (Blume) Chew

Protologue: Gard. Bull. Sing. 21: 206 (1965).

Synonyms

• Urtica ardens Blume (1825),
• Laportea sinuata (Blume) Miq. (1869),
• Laportea pustulosa Ridley (1920).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: kemaduh, kemadu kebo (Javanese), kemadhu kodok (Madurese)
• Malaysia: pelutus
• Papua New Guinea: batal (Gunantuna, East New Britain), lapot (New Ireland)
• Thailand: kalangtang chaang (peninsular)
• Vietnam: nàng hai, han trắng.

Distribution

From India, Sri Lanka, throughout mainland South-East Asia to Sumatra, Java, Bali and Christmas Island.

Uses

In Java, a decoction of the roots in combination with the leaves of a Schizostachyum sp. is drunk as a remedy for swollen limbs. The sap is occasionally used as a hair wash. In East New Britain, the leaves are externally applied against scabies. The plant is claimed to be used as an oral contraceptive in New Ireland.

Observations

• A monoecious tree up to 10(-26) m tall, twigs with irritant hairs pointing downwards.
• Leaves elliptical, oblong to rhombic, (15-)20-65 cm × 7-35 cm, base cuneate, truncate to cordate, apex acuminate, margin sinuate to dentate, glabrous except for sparse irritant hairs at the lower surface, petiole (3-)6-20(-30) cm long, irritant hairs present, stipules about 2 cm long.
• Raceme branched, unisexual, usually solitary, 5-15 cm (male) or 10-30 cm (female) long, bracteolate, densely covered with long irritant hairs, with loosely fascicled flowers.
• Male flowers pedicellate, 2-3 mm long, slightly pubescent, filaments reflexed, female flowers shortly pedicellate, stigma ligulate, 2-5 mm long.
• Achene 3-5 mm × 2.5-4.5 mm, asymmetrically pyriform, bloated, warty, perianth persistent, pedicel greatly elongated.

D. sinuata is a weedy species colonizing gaps in the forest, locally frequent along roads and tracks, and is commonly found in relatively dry forest on sandy soils, from sea-level up to 1400 m altitude.

Selected sources

• [74] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1964—1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1964) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [135] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I—Z) pp. 1241—2444.
• [331] Gagnepain, F. (Editor), 1907—1950. Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. 7 volumes + suppl. Masson & Cie, Paris, France.
• [407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [418] Holdsworth, D.K., 1977. Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea. Technical Paper No 175. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 123 pp.
• [430] Holdsworth, D.K., Gideon, O. & Pilokos, B., 1989. Traditional medicine of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Part III. Konos, Central New Ireland. International Journal of Crude Drug Research 27: 55—61.
• [556] Koorders, S.H. & Valeton, T., 1894—1915. Bijdrage tot de kennis der boomsoorten van Java [Contribution to the knowledge of the tree species of Java]. 13 parts. G. Kolff & Co., Batavia, Dutch East Indies & 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands.

Main genus page

• Dendrocnide

Authors

• J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg