Embelia philippinensis (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Embelia philippinensis A. DC.

Family: Myrsinaceae

Synonyms

• Rhamnus lando Llanos,
• Ribesoides philippense O. Kuntze,
• Samara philippinensis Vidal.

Vernacular names

• Philippines: lando (Tagalog), dikai (Laguna), pongpong (Bontok)

Distribution

In the Philippines from northern Luzon to southern Mindanao and in Borneo.

Uses

The acid leaves are used in the Philippines as a flavouring for fish, meat and vegetables or to give a sour taste to soup. The fruits are eaten and have a sweet-sour taste. Fresh mature stems are used for temporary tying purposes.

Observations

• Woody vine with spiny older stems, up to 4 m long and 1.5 cm in diameter.
• Leaves alternate, elliptical, 7-14 cm × 3-4 cm, acuminate, leathery, smooth, shiny dark green with prominent veins.
• Inflorescence compound with numerous small whitish flowers.
• Fruit a globose berry, up to 0.5 cm in diameter, red when ripe.

E. philippinensis occurs in open or partially shaded secondary dipterocarp forest up to moderate altitudes and is often common. Propagation is by seed and by stem cuttings.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1941-1943. Useful plants of the Philippines. 3 volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines. 1610 pp. (reprint, 1951-1957).

• Burkill, I.H., 1935. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2 volumes. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, United Kingdom. 2402 pp. (slightly revised reprint, 1966. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2444 pp.).

• Food and Agriculture Organization, 1984. Food and fruit‑bearing forest species. 2. Examples from southeastern Asia. FAO Forestry paper 44/2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. 167 pp.

• Merrill, E.D., 1923-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants. 4 volumes. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines. 463, 530, 628, 515 pp. respectively.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen