Tetracera akara (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Tetracera akara (Burm.f.) Merr.

Family: Dilleniaceae

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: daun amplas (South Sumatra), areuy pengasaman (Sundanese)
• Malaysia: akar rusa-rusa, mumplas rimba (Peninsular).

Distribution

Southern India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, West Java, Borneo and the Philippines.

Uses

The stems are used for rope. There are records of the leaves being used as sandpaper, although they are not rough.

Observations

A large climbing or creeping liana, up to 25 m long. Leaves simple, spirally arranged; stipules absent; petiole up to 7(-10) cm long; blade oblong to lanceolate, up to 22 cm × 10.5 cm, base acute, margin entire to slightly undulate or dentate, apex distinctly acuminate, usually with 6-8 pairs of veins, smooth to scabrid on both sides. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary panicle, 5-8-flowered; flowers bisexual, 25-30 mm in diameter; sepals 4; petals 3-4, greenish-white, up to 15 mm × 8 mm; stamens about 230, up to 8 mm long. Fruit a coriaceous capsule with (1-)2-3, 1-2-seeded carpels. Seed ovoid, 2-4 mm × 1-3 mm, glossy black. T. akara occurs in lowland forest and occurs up to 750 m altitude.

Selected sources

47, 76, 77, 78, 95, 191.

Authors

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