Ixora longifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ixora longifolia J.E. Smith

Protologue: Rees, Cycl. XIX: n. 3 (1811).

Synonyms

• Ixora amboinica (Blume) DC. (1830),
• Ixora fulgens auct. non Roxb.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: jarong-jarong (Moluccas).

Distribution

The Moluccas.

Uses

The roots have been reported long ago to be used against pain in the side in the Moluccas, both internally and externally; chewing the roots has been reported to ease toothache.

Observations

• A shrub 1.5-3 m tall.
• Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 15-30 cm × 9-11 cm, herbaceous or subcoriaceous, base rounded or subacute, apex acuminate, with about 13 secondary veins, petiole 1-1.5 cm long, stipules broadly triangular, shortly awned.
• Inflorescence loose, shortly pubescent, peduncle 3 mm long, with up to 100 flowers.
• Flowers with calyx tube 0.5 mm long, lobes broadly ovate and 0.5 mm long, corolla tube 4 cm long, lobes about 1 cm long, acute, red.
• Fruit red turning black at maturity.

I. longifolia is found in abandoned fields and dense scrub up to the beach, but it is less common at higher elevations.

Selected sources

• [97] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [182] Bremekamp, C.E.B., 1937. The Malaysian species of the genus Ixora (Rub.). Contributions à l'étude de la flore des Indes Néerlandaises XXXIV. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg, Série III, 14: 197-367.
• [580] 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.
• [1126] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• [1227] Ridley, H.N., 1922-1925. The flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co, London, United Kingdom.
• [1265] Rumphius, G.E., 1741-1747. Herbarium Amboinense; Het Amboinsch Kruidboek. 7 volumes (Latin, Dutch). Joannus Burmannus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Vol. 1: XXXIII+200 pp., Vol. 2: 270 pp., Vol. 3: 218 pp., Vol. 4: 154 pp., vol. 5: IV+492 pp., vol. 6: IIII+256 pp., vol. 7: 74 pp.+ XXI (Index Universalis).

Main genus page

• Ixora (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• M.C. Ysrael & J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg