Dendrocnide stimulans (L.f.) Chew
Family
Urticaceae
Synonyms
Laportea stimulans (L.f.) Miq., Laportea stenophylla Quisumb.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Jelatang gajah, jelatang api, daun gatal (Peninsular). |
| English | Nettle tree. |
| Indonesia | Jalatong pulus (Sundanese), kemaduh sapi (Javanese), jelatang kayu (Sumatra). |
| Thailand | Tamyae chaang (Central), saam kaeo (Peninsular), haan duea (Northern). |
| Vietnam | M[as]n nam, han t[is]m. |
Geographical Distributions
Dendrocnide stimulans is found in Southern China, Indo-China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, Sulawesi, Borneo, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Description
D. stimulans is a unisexual flowered tree measuring up to 7 m tall. The branches are rather widespread with light bark grey, lenticellate and the twigs without irritant hairs.
The leaves are elliptical to obovate, measure (12-)15-30(-40) cm x (4-)6-10(-14) cm, base is wedge-shaped, rounded or notched at the extremity, apex is acuminate, margin usually entire, irritant hairs present supported by (2-)5-10(-15) cm long stalk and irritant hairs present with 0.8-2 cm long at stipules. They are hairy when young.
The raceme is branched, usually solitary, measures 10-55 cm long, bracteolate with 2-10-flowers at fascicles. The male flowers are sessile, measures 1-2 mm long, slightly hairy, filaments abruptly bent whereas female flowers are sessile and slightly sunken in a row of fleshy receptacles. The elongated flattened strap-shaped stigma measures 5 mm long.
A small dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit is asymmetrical, measures 2-4 mm x 2-4 mm, flattened and smooth to warty.
Ecology / Cultivation
D. stimulans is found in primary and secondary forest on sandy and loamy soils, from sea-level up to 1200 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
