Pipturus (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Pipturus Wedd.
- Protologue: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. sér. 4, 1: 196 (1854).
- Family: Urticaceae
- Chromosome number: x= unknown
Major species
- Pipturus argenteus (J.G. Forster) Wedd.
Origin and geographic distribution
Pipturus comprises about 20-40 species, found on various islands of the Indian Ocean, through Malesia and northern Australia to the Pacific Islands.
Uses
Throughout Malesia, various plant parts of Pipturus are used for poulticing boils. The fibrous bark of several Pipturus species is locally used to produce string and rope.
Production and international trade
Pipturus is only used on a local scale.
Properties
No pharmacological or phytochemical information is available for the Malesian species. However, some general findings for P. albidus A. Gray ex H. Mann, used in traditional Polynesian medicine for infectious diseases, may also apply to the Malesian species. Aqueous extracts from the stem of P. albidus showed selective anti-viral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus-1 and 2 and Vesicular Stomatitis Virus in vitro. A methanol extract of the leaves showed growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes using the disk diffusion method.
Description
- Dioecious or monoecious evergreen shrubs or trees; stem in general softwooded; irritant hairs absent.
- Leaves alternate, simple, membranaceous to coriaceous, serrulate or dentate, 3-veined; petiolate; stipules intrapetiolar, connate, bifid.
- Inflorescence unisexual or bisexual, axillary, paniculate, flowers borne in globular heads sessile at nodes or alternating on interrupted spikes.
- Male flowers: tepals 4; stamens 4; pistillode present, densely villous.
- Female flowers: perianth tubular, minutely 4-toothed, persistent; ovary superior, ovoid, unilocular, stigma simple, exserted, unilaterally stigmatic; staminodes absent.
- Fruit an achene, enclosed by the perianth, several immersed in enlarged fleshy receptacle, the whole fruit-like.
- Seedling with epigeal germination.
Growth and development
The dispersal of Pipturus with fleshy composite fruits is enhanced by frugivorous birds.
Other botanical information
P. argenteus is an extremely variable species, but the extremes are all connected by intermediates. Some may prefer to retain the P. incanus material from Java as a separate species P. incanus (Blume) Wedd. (synonyms Urtica incanus Blume, P. velutinus (Decne.) Wedd.), others as P. argenteus var. incanus (Blume) Winkl.
Ecology
Buried seeds of P. argenteus remain viable for a prolonged period even under well-developed rain forest. Locally they dominate the seed bank numerically, germinate most rapidly and dominate the developing plant cover.
Propagation and planting
Pipturus can easily be propagated from seed.
Husbandry
P. argenteus is a hardy plant, requiring regular watering only. It fruits optimally in full sun, but will also perform well in semi-shade.
Harvesting
Leaves, bark or roots of Pipturus are collected from wild plants whenever needed.
Handling after harvest
All plant parts of Pipturus are usually used fresh.
Genetic resources and breeding
All Pipturus treated here have a large area of distribution, are common in disturbed habitats, and do not seem liable to genetic erosion.
Prospects
Information on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Malesian Pipturus species is not available at present. Therefore, to determine their future applications in South-East Asia more research will be needed to investigate their properties.
Literature
- Chew, W.-L., 1989. Urticaceae. In: George, A.S. (Editor): Flora of Australia. Vol. 3. Hamamelidales to Casuarinales. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia. pp. 68-93.
- Enright, N., 1985. Existence of a soil seed bank under rainforest in New Guinea. Australian Journal of Ecology 10(1): 67-71.
- Locher, C.P., Burch, M.T., Mower, H.F., Berestecky, J., Davis, H., Van Poel, B., Lasure, A., Van den Berghe, D.A. & Vlietinck, A.J., 1995. Anti-microbial activity and anti-complement activity of extracts obtained from selected Hawaiian medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 49(1): 23-32.
- Saulei, S.M. & Swaine, M.D., 1988. Rain forest seed dynamics during succession at Gogol Papua New Guinea. Journal of Ecology 76(4): 1133-1152.
- Skottsberg, C., 1932. Remarks on Pipturus argenteus and P. incanus of Weddell. Acta Horti Gotoburgensis 7: 43-63.
- Skottsberg, C., 1933. Additional notes on Pipturus. Acta Horti Gotoburgensis 8: 111-118.
Selection of species
Authors
- J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg
