Pisonia aculeata L.
Family
Nyctaginaceae
Synonyms
Pisonia villosa Poir.
Vernacular Names
|
Indonesia |
Alar (Madurese), cuhun-Iamarang (South Bantam), ram pari (Sumba). |
|
Philippines |
Digkit, pakat-aso (Tagalog), puriket (Iloko). |
|
Thailand |
Khat khao (Peninsular), ma kang phee (Northern), huu cha luang (Southeastern). |
|
Vietnam |
B[if] s[ow]n nh[oj]n, tuy[ees]n qu[ar] d[awf]ng. |
Geographical Distributions
Pisonia aculeate is pantropical, from (sub)tropical America, the West and East coasts of Africa and Indian Ocean islands, to Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, South Chinese islands, and throughout Southeast Asia. It is also found in Peninsular Malaysia, central Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, northern Borneo, Sulawesi, the Philippines, New Guinea to northern Australia and New Caledonia.
Description
Pisonia aculeate is a large, dioecious, climbing and overhanging shrub, up to 20 m tall, and armed with solitary, axillary, recurved thorns which are 0.5-1 cm long.
The leaves are arranged (sub)opposite, elliptical, measure 4-10 cm x 1.3-5 cm, acute at base, obtuse at apex and with 0.5-2.5 cm long petiole. The thyrse is axillary, dense, 1-2.5 cm in diametre and short brown hairy.
The flowers are unisexual, with short pedicel and 1-3 bracteoles. The male flower is funnel-shaped, 3 mm long, with 10 lobes where 5 are large and alternate, while the other 5 small ones are opposite, with 5 rows of black stalked glands outside and recurved. There are 7-8 stamens, long exserted, with small ovary and trifid stigma. The female flower is bell-shaped, urn-shaped, with lobes 2 mm long, and the male flowers are with androecium absent, fimbriate stigma and 1-1.5 mm exserted.
The anthocarp is club-shaped, measures 15 mm x 2-2.5 mm and 5-ribbed. Each of it is with a biserial row of glandular appendages that soft, viscid prickles grow out from them and are 1.5 mm long.
Ecology / Cultivation
Pisonia aculeata occurs along coasts, in hedges, rain forests and open forests, sometimes forming impenetrable masses, from sea level up to 500 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
