Entada phaseoloides (L.) Merr.
Family
Leguminosae
Synonyms
Entada scandens (L.) Benth., Entada rumphii Scheff., Entada tonkinensis Gagnep.
Vernacular Names
|
Malaysia |
Akar belerang |
|
Philippines |
Gogo (Tagalog, Bikol). |
|
Vietnam |
D[aa]y b[af]m b[af]m, d[aaj]u d[ej]t |
Geographical Distributions
Entada phaseoloides is distributed from the Pacific through tropical Australia, westward to northern Vietnam and southern China; recorded in Malaysia, the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and the Lesser Sunda.
Description
Entada phaseoloides is a large woody climber and often with flattened and spiral stem. The rachis is 2 cm long, with 1-2 pairs of pinnae measuring 6.5-9 cm long, and with 1-2(-3) pairs of leaflets per pinna. The leaflets are elliptical to obovate-elliptical, unequal-sided, measuring 4.5-10 cm x 1.8-6.3 cm, and with asymmetrical base or somewhat notched.
The inflorescence is an axillary spike, measures 13-30 cm long, with sessile or subsessile flowers, male or bisexual, minute, with green sepal and broadly cup-shaped while the petals are green with a reddish base.
The pod is straight to slightly curved, measuring up to 100(-200) cm x 7-15 cm, and with woody exocarp while the endocarp is parchment-like. The seed is suborbicular, flattened, measuring 4-6 cm x 3.3-5 cm, 1 cm thick and brown.
Ecology / Cultivation
Entada phaseoloides is found in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from freshwater swamp and inland from the mangrove up to montane forest, up to 900(-1700) m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
1. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
