Derris microphylla (Miquel) B.D. Jackson
Family
Leguminosae
Synonyms
Brachypterum microphyllum Miquel, Derris dalbergioides Baker, Deguelia microphylla (Miquel) Valeton.
Vernacular Names
|
Malaysia |
Daun berayai, batai, betek (Peninsular). |
|
English |
Vetch tree |
|
Indonesia |
Kayu retak (Palembang). |
|
Thailand |
Khangten (south-eastern), di-ngu, fantae (peninsular). |
Geographical Distributions
Derris microphylla occurs naturally in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and possibly in Indo-China. Its natural occurrence in Java, where it is often planted, is uncertain.
Description
Derris microphylla is a tree with several ascending branches, with an umbrella-shaped, feathery crown and can reach up to 5-20 m tall. Its bark is light-grey to brown and slightly fissured. The branchlets, petioles and buds are golden-brown silky and nearly hairless.
The leaves are imparipinnate. The petiole and rachis are 9-20 cm long while the petiolule is 1-2 mm long. There are 19-43 leaflets, which are elliptical-oblong, measuring 1.5-3.2 cm x 0.81.2 cm, rounded-emarginate at both ends where both surfaces are thinly appressed brown hairy and glaucous below.
The inflorescence is an axillary raceme, and measures 2-13 cm long. The flowers are 7-8 mm long. The pedicel is 0.5-1.5 cm long. The sepal is bell-shaped while the petal is dark red to violet. The upper part of petal measures 9 mm x 7 mm that bears 2 glands at the base. There are 10 stamens which are monadelphous, where 1 stamen is free at the top and the bottom but adnate to stamen tube in the centre.
The pod is flat, elliptical to linear-Iance-shaped in outline, measuring 2.5-7 cm x 1.2-1.7 cm, 1-2(-5)seeded, indehiscent, narrowed at both ends and smooth to hairy. The brown-green seed measures 6 mm x 3 mm.
Ecology / Cultivation
In Java and Peninsular Malaysia, Derris microphylla occurs from 200-1200 m altitude. It is tolerant of strong winds. To provide shade in plantations, it is mostly planted in soils too poor for Leucaena leucocephala (Lamk) de Wit or Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielsen.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.11: Auxiliary plants.
