Tabernaemontana pandacaqui Poir.
Family
Apocynaceae
Synonyms
Tabernaemontana orientalis R.Br., Tabernaemontana cumingiana A.DC., Ervatamia pandacaqui (Poir.) Pichon.
Vernacular Names
|
Philippines |
Kampupot (Tagalog), pandakaki (Tagalog, Bisaya, Pampangan). |
|
Thailand |
Put farang (Bangkok), phut tum (Northern). |
|
Papua New Guinea |
Oru (Rulu, Central Province), karaban (Nyamikum, Sepik). |
Geographical Distributions
Tabernaemontana pandacaqui is distributed from Thailand and southern Taiwan throughout the Philippines to Sabah, from East Java and Sulawesi eastwards throughout New Guinea into the Pacific and northern and eastern Australia.
Description
Tabernaemontana pandacaqui is a shrub or small tree. It can grow up to 1-14 m tall while its trunk is up to 20 cm in diametre.
The leaves are elliptical to narrowly elliptical, measure (1.5-)3-25 cm x (0.4-) 1-10 cm and 1.7-4(7) times longer than wide. The apex is obtuse or sometimes rounded. The secondary veins are usually pale green on both sides while the petiole is 3-20 mm long.
The inflorescence is rather lax or more or less congested, measures 3-11 cm x 3-16 cm and 1-many-flowered. The flowers are slightly or not scented and open during the day. The sepals are pale green, while the corolla is in mature bud 10-31 mm long with a comparatively wide subglobose or mostly broadly ovoid head which is 15-40% of the bud length; apex is blunt or rounded, and the tube is 3.7-11 times longer than the calyx, 8-22 mm long, 0.25-0.5 turn or not twisted just below the anthers.
The fruit consists of 2 separate mericarps. They are obliquely ellipsoid or nearly globular, with 1 adaxial and 1-2 lateral ridges or wings, orange, red or yellow and 2-40-seeded.
Ecology / Cultivation
Tabernaemontana pandacaqui is found in forests or bushes, often on limestones from sea level up to 1800 m altitude. It flowers and fruits throughout the year. In the Philippines, flowering peaks from March to June and fruiting from September to November. In Papua New Guinea, flowering peaks in March and from November to December while fruiting in January and September.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
