Macaranga tanarius
(L.) Müll.Arg. var. tomentosa (Blume) M?ll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15
(2): 997. 1866. Mappa tomentosa Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 624. 1826. Macaranga molliuscula
Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 42(2): 245. 1873.
Trees, 3 - 15 m tall; branches and branchlets softly pubescent. Leaves ovate, deltoid,
orbicular to ovate-orbicular, rounded, truncate or cordate and broadly peltate at base, repanddenticulate
or sinuate-toothed along margins, cuspidate-acuminate at apex, 10 - 40 x 6 - 33 cm,
membranous to subcoriaceous, minutely puberulous above, densely ochraceous-velvety and
yellow-glandular beneath, palmatinerved at base; lateral nerves 10 - 14 pairs; petioles 5 - 25 cm
long; stipules oblong to lanceolate, 5 - 9 mm long. Male flowers: clustered in bract-axils along
lax 15 - 27 cm long panicles; peduncles 4 - 16 cm long; bracts subfoliaceous; pedicels 1 - 2 mm
long; calyx-lobes 3 or 4, broadly ovate, 1.5 - 2 mm across; stamens 4 - 6; filaments free, 0.7 - 1.4
mm long; anthers 4-loculed. Female flowers: 2 - 4 mm across, arranged singly along 7 - 20 cm
long lax panicles of racemes; peduncles 5 - 10 cm long; bracts oblong, often 3-lobed at apex,
serrate or fimbriate, 5 - 6 mm across, foliaceous; calyx-lobes 3 or 4, broadly ovate, 1.5 - 2 mm
across, finely pubescent; ovary subovoid, 2 - 3-loculed, 2 - 3 mm across, shortly appressed
hispid; styles 2 or 3, subulate, 2 - 3 mm long, densely plumose. Fruits didymous or tridymous,
depressed at apex, 2 or 3-coccous, 1 - 2 cm across, 0.5 - 0.6 cm high, sparingly beset with 6 - 9 mm
long subulate hairy soft prickles, yellowish waxy.
Fl. & Fr. Feb. - Oct.
Distrib. India: Open places in primary and secondary forests, village groves, roadsides and forest clearings. Often seen along river and stream banks, beach forests and inland tidal creeks, on sandy loam or limestones, up to 500 m. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
S. China, Taiwan, Indo-China, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, throughout Malesia to N. Australia and Melanesia.
Uses. The bark contains 2.1 % tannin, used for toughening fishing nets. A decoction of the bark given in dysentery and a decoction of the root in fever. Powdered leaves used as poultice for wounds. In Philippines, the leaves used to stimulate fermentation of cane molasses by yeast. Pepper growers in Philippines use the wood for making temporary ladders.
Notes. Chromosome number: 2n = 22 (Chuang et al., Taiwania 1: 51 - 66. 1963; Whitmore et al., Taxon 19: 225 - 256. 1970).
Fl. & Fr. Feb. - Oct.
Distrib. India: Open places in primary and secondary forests, village groves, roadsides and forest clearings. Often seen along river and stream banks, beach forests and inland tidal creeks, on sandy loam or limestones, up to 500 m. Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
S. China, Taiwan, Indo-China, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, throughout Malesia to N. Australia and Melanesia.
Uses. The bark contains 2.1 % tannin, used for toughening fishing nets. A decoction of the bark given in dysentery and a decoction of the root in fever. Powdered leaves used as poultice for wounds. In Philippines, the leaves used to stimulate fermentation of cane molasses by yeast. Pepper growers in Philippines use the wood for making temporary ladders.
Notes. Chromosome number: 2n = 22 (Chuang et al., Taiwania 1: 51 - 66. 1963; Whitmore et al., Taxon 19: 225 - 256. 1970).
