Phaleria macrocarpa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl.

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Synonyms

Drimyspermum macrocarpum Scheff., Phaleria papuana Warb. ex K. Schum. & Lauterb., P. wichmannii Valeton.

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: mahkota dewa (Indonesian), makuto dewo, makuto rojo (Javanese).

Distribution

New-Guinea. Cultivated in Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Java and elsewhere in Indonesia.

Uses

In New Guinea the bark is made into string for bags. In central Java (Indonesia) P. macrocarpa has long been planted in the palace gardens in Yogyakarta and Surakarta as an ornamental and medicinal plant. In Indonesia it is now gaining importance as a medicinal plant. For safe use, P. macrocarpa material is first dried in the shade, and then sun- or fire-dried. A decoction of the dried peel and pulp of the ripe fruits with added sugar is made into a dried instant tea, which is produced and distributed commercially. It is taken singly in hot water as a health drink, or in a decoction with ground dried leaves of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wallich ex Nees, leaves and tubers of Gynura pseudochina (L.) DC. and tubers of Curcuma zedoaria (Christ.) Roscoe to treat a range of complaints including hepatitis, diabetes, rheumatism, cancer, hypertension and heart disorders. Ground, fire-dried seeds of P. macrocarpa , mixed with coconut oil and ground dried leaves and tubers of the three species mentioned above, are applied as an ointment to treat various skin diseases and disorders. Leaf decoctions are taken against allergy, dysentery and tumours.

Observations

A laticiferous shrub or small tree, up to 18 m tall with trunk up to 15 cm in diameter. Young branches hollow. Leaves decussate or opposite; petiole 5 mm long; blade ovate-oblong, elliptical-oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, 10-25 cm × 3-10 cm, base cuneate to rounded, apex shortly acute to acuminate, with 6-11 pairs of veins. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, sometimes cauliflorous, with 1-5 peduncles in each axis; peduncle 0-2.5 cm long, each 2-5(-8)-flowered; flowers bisexual, 1.5-4 cm long, sessile; calyx lobes oblong, reflexed, 4 mm × 2 mm; corolla tube glabrous, white; stamens sessile or up to 5 mm exserted; ovary glabrous, style shorter than tube, as long as tube, or 5-10 mm exserted. Fruit drupaceous, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid or rounded, glossy red-maroon when ripe. Seed subglobose or slightly ovate, about 1.5 cm × 1.3 mm. P. macrocarpa is found in primary and secondary forest up to 1000 m altitude. Highland specimens identified in early literature as P. macrocarpa have been placed in new taxa. Two kinds of flowers are found on different plants: the first with exserted stamens and a short style; the second with short stamens and an exserted style. Propagation is by seed or vegetatively by grafting. Plants raised from seed bear the first flowers when they are 8-12 months old and the first fruits can be harvested 2-3 months later. P. macrocarpa is planted as a sole crop or intercropped, e.g. with Andrographis paniculata and Gynura pseudochina . The fruit of P. macrocarpa is astringent and bitter and said to be poisonous. Fruit and leaf extracts have shown antihistaminic activity.

Selected sources

47, 68, 138, 171.

Authors

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