Celastrus paniculatus Willd.
Family
Celastraceae
Synonyms
Celastrus multiflorus Roxb., Celastrus australis Harv. & F. Muell. ex. F. Muell.
Vernacular Names
|
Indonesia |
Sila (Javanese). |
|
Philippines |
Bilogo (Tagalog). |
|
Thailand |
Kra thong laai. |
|
Vietnam |
D[aa]y s[aw]ng m[as]u. |
Geographical Distributions
Celastrus paniculatus is widely distributed from India, Burma (Myanmar) to southern China, Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia (except Borneo) to Australia and New Caledonia.
Description
Celastrus paniculatus is a climbing, deciduous, usually dioecious shrub that can reach up to 10 m tall. Its stem is up to 25 cm in diametre, with cylindrical branchlets and hairy.
The leaves are arranged spirally, simple, elliptical to suborbicular to oblong, measure 5-15 cm x 2.5-6 cm, with wedge-shaped base, obtuse or rounded, acute at apex, acuminate, obtuse, rarely notched at the extremity, with remotely crenulate margin, elevated midrib and smooth.
The petiole is 0.5-1.5 cm long with small stipules. The inflorescence is an axillary or panicle terminal, usually thrice to multi-compound, spreading, (2-)5-10(-20) cm long and with 0.6-1 cm long peduncle. Its flowers are unisexual, 5-merous, pale greenish, with 1.5-3.5 mm long pedicel, accrescent to 3-6 mm and articulate at the base. The sepal is bell-shaped, persistent, with semi-orbicular lobes, short-ciliate and it measures about 1 mm x 1.5 mm. The petals are oblong to obovate-oblong, obtuse, entire, and measure 2.5-3 mm x 1-1.5 mm. The disk is cupular and obscurely 5-lobed. In the male flower, stamens are about 3 mm long, with columnar pistil and about 1 mm long while in the female flowers, staminodes are about 1 mm long, with 2-2.5 mm long pistil, superior ovary, spherical, (in)completely 3-celled, ovules 1-2 per cell, with columnar style and 3-lobed stigma.
The fruit is a nearly spherical capsule, 3-valved loculicidally with broad-elliptical valves, measuring 5-10 mm x 5-8 mm and 3-6-seeded. The seed is ellipsoid, measures 3.5-5 mm x 2-3 mm, enveloped by a fleshy orange to crimson aril, yellowish to reddish brown, smooth or with obscure areoles. The albumen is copious, with thin cotyledons and broadly spathulate. The seedling is with epigeal germination.
Ecology / Cultivation
Celastrus paniculatus is mainly found in thickets at 200-1800 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
