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12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Derris robusta (Roxb. ex DC.) Benth.

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Derris in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Journ. Linn. Soc. 4, Suppl.: 104 (1860).

Derris polyphylla (Miq.) Benth. (1860), Brachypterum robustum (Roxb. ex DC.) Dalz. & Gibs. (1861).

Indonesia: bekel, kedusan, wedusan (Javanese). Thailand: khang sai chang (Phitsanulok), kheemoot (Saraburi), haang khaao (northern). Vietnam: c[os]c k[ef]n m[aj]nh.

India, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Vietnam and Java.

Derris robusta is occasionally used as a shade tree and a green manure. The wood is used in India for e.g. tea chests, and locally in Java for handles of axes. The leaves may serve as fodder. Although it is chemically well investigated, no medicinal, insecticidal or piscicidal uses are known.

A tree up to 20(-25) m tall, with bole up to 30(-65) cm in diameter, tops of branches finely pubescent; leaflets (7-)11-31, puberulous on both surfaces when young but often glabrescent above; inflorescence axillary; flowers with densely adpressed pubescent calyx and whitish or pale pink corolla, standard without basal callosities; fruit strap-shaped, with a wing along one side. In Java, Derris robusta occurs in deciduous forest, especially teak forest, up to 300 m altitude.

[97] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
[287] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948-1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
[580] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.

Auzay Hamid

Hamid, A., 1999. Derris robusta (Roxb. ex DC.) Benth.. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea