Ochrosia oppositifolia (Lamk) K. Schum.
Family
Apocynaceae
Synonyms
Ochrosia salubris (Raf.) Blume, Ochrosia borbonica auct. non J.F. Gmelin, Neisosperma oppositifolia (Lamk) Fosberg & Sachet.
Vernacular Names
|
Indonesia |
Upas laki-Iaki (Malay, Moluccas), songgo langit (Javanese), lau lite (Ambon). |
|
Philippines |
Ginlin (Sulu). |
|
Vietnam |
Chai lang, chai b[oo]ng. |
|
French |
Bois jaune. |
Geographical Distributions
Ochrosia oppositifolia is found throughout Southeast Asia, on the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the coast of tropical Asia.
Description
Ochrosia oppositifolia is a shrub or tree that can reach up to 45 m tall while its trunk is up to 50 cm in diametre.
The leaves are arranged in whorls of 3-4(-5), usually obovate, rarely elliptical, and measure (4.5-) 8-36 cm x (1.5-)3-18 cm. The leaf base is decurrent onto the petiole, often rounded to obtuse at apex but sometimes apiculate, rarely truncate or shallowly retuse and with petiole 1-6.5 cm long.
The inflorescence is an axillary and terminal cyme, in whorls of 2-4, with peduncle 0.5-13.5 cm long, congested and many-flowered. The flowers are fragrant, pedicellate, with ovate sepals, measure 1-2.2 mm x 0.71.6 mm, obtuse, thick and green while the petal tube is (4-)5-10 (-12) mm long. The petal lobes are narrowly elliptical, measure (4-)5-9(12) mm x 2-3 mm while the stamens are included.
The fruit consists of 2 separate mericarps which are ellipsoid or ovoid, measuring 5-8 cm x 3-5.5 cm while the mesocarp is fibrous, unites with the stone, green and turns yellow when ripens.
The seed is suborbicular to elliptical, measures 25 mm x 20 mm, thin and winged.
Ecology / Cultivation
Ochrosia oppositifolia is found along seashores, in coastal forests, less often inland, often on limestones, but not in the mangroves.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
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Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
