Aralia scandens
Content
Description
Prickly scandent shrub, glabrous, reaching a height of 10 m or more, stems c. 2.5 cm ø.
Leaves dispersed (c. 30 cm apart), up to 1.5 m long, tri- or quadripinnate with a pair of leaflets at each division of the rachis, prickly on the petiole, rachides, and sometimes on the leaf veins;
Inflorescence a large terminal spiny panicle, the main rachis to c. 60 cm, bearing secondary branches singly or in whorls, up to 50 cm;
Fruit ellipsoidal, c. 5 mm long, purple to blue-black, deeply furrowed when dry, crowned by the persistent radiating styles.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo (Sabah present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Buton I present, Catanduanes present, Luzon present, Menado present, Mindanao present, Mt Kinabalu present, Pahang present, Panay present, Perak present, S. Celebes present, Selangor present
Malesia: Malay Peninsula (Perak, Selangor, Pahang), Sabah (Mt Kinabalu), Philippines (Luzon, Panay, Catanduanes, Mindanao), Celebes (Menado, Buton I., S. Celebes).
Uses
In Mindanao is reported that scrapings of the bark are applied to wounds and a decoction of the boiled bark is drunk to releave internal pain.
Notes
The only species with the habit of a liana, with spaced leaves, and recurved spines. The flowers are whitish or yellowish, and slightly fragrant and are visited by numerous small bees. The fruit is purple and fleshy.
Citation
Steen. 1948 – In: Bull. Bot. Gard. Btzg: 390
Stone 1977: p. 276. – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: f. 1
Philipson 1977 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: 99
Merr. 1921: En. Born.: 458
Ridl. 1922 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 872
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 236
Masam. 1942: En. Phan. Born.: 564
Koord. 1898: Minah.: 498