Dichapetalum timoriense (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Dichapetalum timoriense (DC.) Boerl.

Family: Dichapetalaceae

Synonyms

Dichapetalum robinsonii Merr., D. sericeum Merr., D. submaritimum Elmer.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: derangdang areuy (Sundanese), popoler kusu (Ambon), buwah mulo (Aru Islands)
• Malaysia: akar kachang-kachang, akar pah kudah, tugor pontianak akar (Peninsular)
• Philippines: alibotbot (Panay Bisaya), dekdek (Ilokano), ariskis (Tagbanua).

Distribution

Throughout Malesia (except the main island of Sumatra), the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands.

Uses

In the Moluccas the stems are split after removing the bark, and the splits are used for tying hoop-nets. Young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, raw or cooked, and cooked fruits are consumed with fish.

Observations

A shrub with scandent or creeping stems up to 5 cm in diameter. Leaves alternate, simple, ovate to obovate, 7-18 cm × 3-10 cm, entire, pubescent below, shortly petiolate; stipules subulate. Inflorescence axillary, repeatedly dichotomously branched, densely tomentose, many-flowered; flowers bisexual or unisexual, 2.5-4 mm long, 5-merous; sepals almost free, ovate; petals free, spatulate, incised; stamens 5; ovary superior, densely woolly pubescent, styles 2-3, connate. Fruit a globular to ovoid drupe 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, densely fulvous velvety pubescent, 1-3-seeded. D. timoriense occurs in primary and secondary forest, often at the edges, up to 1800 m altitude.

Selected sources

6, 47, 71, 115.

Authors

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