Sarcotheca

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Sarcotheca

Description

Shrubs or trees; Leaves estipulate, 1- or 3-foliolate; Flowers heterodistylous. Sepals unequal, shortly connate at base, inside appressed strigose, persistent (except in S. diver sifolia). Petals contorted, sometimes paratact, inside with minute papillae in the upper half. Panicles axillary or pseudoter-minal, one to few together; Ovules 2 per cell. Fruit fleshy, red at least when dry, with ± distinct episeptal rimae sometimes lighter and minutely papillose inside (at least when dry). Seeds exaril-late;

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Malaya present; Sulawesi (Sulawesi present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), W. Malesia present
W. Malesia: Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo, Celebes. .

Uses

The fruit, although acid, is eaten in curry, sajur, and manisan and is said to be a remedy against coughing. The timber is light and of small dimension, neither very strong nor durable, sometimes used for roofs.

Notes

The genus has often been confused with Rourea AUBL. (Connaraceae) which differs from Sarcotheca in having free carpels, 2 collateral ovules, seeds with an aril, and a dry, indehiscent, 1 -celled and 1-seeded fruit.
The species of the genus are closely related and most of them occupy small ranges; in several cases close allies show replacing areas. With a broader species concept several species would be reduced to sub-specific rank, notably the triad S. monophylla from Malaya, S. glauca from Borneo, and S. celebica from Celebes.

Citation

HALL.f. 1911 – In: Med. Rijksherb. Leiden: 1
KNUTH 1930 – In: Pfl. R.: 420
VELDKAMP 1967 – In: Blumea: 527