Tinospora glabra (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Tinospora glabra (Burm.f.) Merr.

Protologue: Journ. Arn. Arb. 19: 340 (1938).

Synonyms

• Tinospora reticulata Miers (1864),
• Tinospora coriacea (Blume) Beumée ex K. Heyne (1927).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: pancasona (Sundanese), tajungan (Javanese), wase wages (Flores)
• Philippines: makabuhay (Luzon, Mindoro), papaitan (Palawan), sangawnaw (Mindanao).

Distribution

The Andaman Islands, Hainan, throughout Malesia (possibly except Sulawesi) and the Solomon Islands.

Uses

Burnt leaves are used in the Philippines to treat pinworms, and ground bark is applied to sore breasts of nursing mothers. T. glabra has much more medicinal applications, but the exact usage is unclear because of confusion with T. crispa; the latter is said to be more effective. T. glabra is also used for baiting wild pigs by mixing sliced roots with sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lamk).

Observations

• A woody climber, older stems becoming warty and finally developing a smooth, thin papery bark often becoming detached on drying.
• Leaves oblong-ovate or narrowly to broadly ovate, 7-12(-15) cm × 5-9(-13) cm, domatia usually present in basal vein-axils.
• Inflorescences appearing together with leaves.
• Flowers with 6 petals.
• Fruit ellipsoidal or subglobular, about 1 cm long, red.

T. glabra often occurs in littoral rain forest and in forest dominated by Casuarina equisetifolia L., in mangrove vegetation and on sandy beaches, but also inland in disturbed forest and thickets, up to 500 m altitude. It is very frequently found on limestone and on black soils under seasonal conditions.

Selected sources

• [421] Forman, L.L. 1986. Menispermaceae. In: van Steenis, C.G.G.J. & de Wilde, W.J.J.O. (General editors): Flora Malesiana. Series 1, Vol. 10. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, the Netherlands. pp. 157-253.
• [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.
• [1178] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.

Main genus page

• Tinospora (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Umi Kalsom Yusuf, S.F.A.J. Horsten & R.H.M.J. Lemmens