Mesona palustris
Content
Description
Erect, aromatic herb, 30-50 cm.
Leaves membranaceous or chartaceous, oblong-elliptic or narrowly obovate-elliptic, 2-8 by 1.2-3.5 cm, acute or obtuse, crenate or serrulate, base narrowly acute or rounded;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: India present; Jawa (Jawa present); Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali present); Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Burma present, Central Sumatra present, East New Guinea present, Lesser Sunda Is present, Lombok present, Mt Singalang present, Sumbawa present, Wau present, northern half of Luzon present
India&Burma to Indo-China, in Malesia: Central Sumatra (Mt Singalang), throughout Java, Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa), Celebes, Philippines (northern half of Luzon), and East New Guinea (Wau, once).
Uses
In Central Java used for the preparation of a somewhat harsh, slimy cool drink. In West Java to blacken a favourite kind of titbit, called tjintjau hitam.
Notes
A variable species. The Philippine material has congested flowers, a less inflated fruiting calyx tube with less conspicuous cross-bars and pits. It matches some specimens from Java and there are intermediate forms in Celebes and the Lesser Sunda Is.
The Taiwan M. procumbens HEMSL. is possibly conspecific.
The Taiwan M. procumbens HEMSL. is possibly conspecific.
Citation
KENG 1969: p. 114. – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: f. 20 a-f
BTH. 1848 – In: DC., Prod. 12: 46
STEEN. 1972: Mt. Fl. Java: pl. 25-3
BOERL. 1899 – In: Handl. Fl. N. I.: 713
BTH. 1832: Lab. Gen. Sp.: 20
Hook.f. 1885 – In: Fl. Br. Ind.: 610
MUKERJEE 1940 – In: Rec. Bot. Surv. India: 28
BACK. & BAKH. f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 638
Miq. 1858 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 940
KENG 1969: p. 116. – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: f. 20 g.
Koord. 1912 – In: Exk. Fl. Java: 157
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 420