Antiaris toxicaria

Content

Description

Trees up to 50 m tall, (always?) deciduous. Leaves distichous on the lateral branches; stipules 0.4-1 cm long, puberulous, caducous. stamens 3 or 4, 1-2 mm long, anthers 0.8-1.8 mm long. seed ellipsoid, 0.5-2 cm long.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical, Madagascar present, Pacific: Tonga (Tonga present), Tropical Africa present, Yemen present, from Sri Lanka and South India to South China, Indochina, Thailand, and the Paciﬁc present

Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Yemen, from Sri Lanka and South India to South China, Indochina, Thailand, and the Paciﬁc (Tonga); in Malesia: throughout.

Uses

The milk sap is used to prepare arrow poison, the active substances in which cardiac glycosides (cardenolides), including forms of antiarin, which arrest the heart (see ). The concentration of cardiac glycosides varies and may be too low for the preparation of arrow poison. Outside western and central Malesia there seems to be no native knowledge that the latex is poisonous. Latex of some species of Naucleopsis (a neotropical genus of the tribe Castilleae) is used to prepare arrow poison in parts of South America (see ).

Notes

1The species is very variable. Several subspecies and varieties have been recognised: for the African continent three subspecies, for Madagascar two, and for the Asian-Australasian region two (see ). Juvenile material of all these subspecies is (rather) similar, but adult (and fertile) material can be distinguished reasonably well. The boundary between the two Asian subspecies is not clear in eastern Malesia (Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands). 2Ranging from West Africa to Polynesia, this species is the most widespread of the Moraceae.

Citation

C.C. Berg 1977 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Belg.: 310

S. Vidal 1883: Sin. Gen. Pl. Leños Filip: 40: t. 88 f. A

Koord. & Valeton 1906 – In: Bijdr. Boomsoort. Java: 274

Benn. in Benn. & R.Br. 1838: Pl. Jav. Rar: 52: t. 13

Becc. 1902: For. Borneo: 594

Baill. 1875: p. 203. – In: Hist. Pl.: f. 119-121

Hook. 1836: p. 310. – In: Companion Bot. Mag.: t. 17

Boer, Brink & Sosef 1999: p. 126. – In: Prosea: cum t.

Hook.f. 1898 – In: Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 4: 97

Koord. 1912 – In: Exkurs.-Fl. Java: 97

Steenis 1948 – In: Blumea: 258

Kochummen 1978 – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: 120

Fern.-Vill. 1880: Nov. App.: 102

Ridl. 1924 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 351

Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 291

Merr. 1907 – In: Philipp. J. Sci.: 111

Lesch. 1921: Enum. Born. Pl.: 220

Kurz 1877 – In: Forest Fl. Burma: 462

Renner 1907 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 374

Koord. 1924: Atlas Baumart. Java: t. 762

Hook.f. 1888 – In: Fl. Brit. India: 537

Engl. 1888: p. 85. – In: Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3: f. 64

Blume 1836: p. 56. – In: Rumphia: t. 22, 23

Go 2000: p. 185. – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: t. 1

Lesch. 1867 – In: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi: 214

Lesch. 1861 – In: Fl. Ned. Ind.: 423

Trécul 1847 – In: Ann. Sci. Nat.: 143

Corner 1962 – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 19: 248

Corner 1940: Wayside Trees Malaya: 648

Lesch. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 44

Worth. 1959: Ceylon Trees: pl. 419

Merr. 1917: Interpr. Herb. Amboin.: 192

Gagnep. 1928: p. 721. – In: Fl. Indo-Chine: f. 98: 1-8

C.C. Berg 1978 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Belg.: 466