2630

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Gonocaryum gracile Miq.

Fl. Ind. Bat., Suppl. 1: 343 (1861).

ICACINACEAE

2n = unknown

Gonocaryum longiracemosum King (1895).

Indonesia: tobung-tobung (Sumatra). Malaysia: toyoh, rambai hutan, ruai gajah (Peninsular).

Gonocaryum gracile occurs in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Bangka.

In Peninsular Malaysia a poultice of Gonocaryum gracile fruits is applied to the head to treat headache. In Sumatra (Riau Province), pounded fresh leaves are used as a remedy for bruises and pains by applying a cataplasm on the affected parts. In the Philippines, Gonocaryum calleryanum (Baillon) Becc. is said to be applied as a medicine against stomach troubles, and its wood is used to produce charcoal. In Thailand Gonocaryum lobbianum (Miers) Kurz is used in prescriptions for jaundice, its wood being mixed with the root of Neonauclea sessilifolia (Roxb.) Merr., or its stem or root mixed with the stem of Dendrolobium lanceolatum (Dunn) Schindler, the wood of Diospyros ehretioides Wallich ex G. Don and the stem of Erythrina stricta Roxb.

There is no information on the phytochemistry of Gonocaryum gracile, but numerous secoiridoid glycosides, flavonoid glycosides and flavonoids have been isolated from the leaves, branches, stem and root bark of Gonocaryum calleryanum.

A dioecious shrub or small, low-branching tree up to 12 m tall; bole up to 5 cm in diameter, bark surface smooth, greyish. Leaves arranged spirally, simple and entire, elliptical-oblong, (6—)8—18(—20) cm x 3.5—6.5(—9.5) cm, base broadly cuneate, apex shortly acuminate; petiole characteristically wrinkled and yellow; stipules absent. Inflorescence an axillary, generally elongated spike (3—)5—15(—30) cm long, solitary or 2—3 together, often on defoliated twigs, laxly many-flowered. Flowers unisexual, regular, 5-merous, sessile or short-stalked; calyx small, deeply lobed; petals united, 5.5—6 mm long, lobes inflexed; male flowers with stamens connate to the petals for most of their length and rudimentary ovary; female flowers with superior, 2-celled ovary, conical, short style and rudimentary stamens. Fruit an ellipsoid-oblong drupe, (3—)3.5—4(—4.5) cm x 1.5—2(—2.8) cm, obtusely trigonous with 2—3 longitudinal ribs on each side, 1-seeded. Seed with a thin testa. Seedling with hypogeal germination; cotyledons not emergent, hypocotyl not developed, epicotyl with a few scales; leaves appearing in flushes of 3—5.
Gonocaryum comprises about 11 species occurring in Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, south-eastern China, Taiwan, Thailand and throughout the Malesian region (except for Java and most of the Lesser Sunda Islands).

Gonocaryum gracile is found scattered in lowland forest, preferably in valleys along streams, from sea-level up to 1000 m altitude.

A germination rate of about 25% has been recorded for Gonocaryum gracile fruits, but germination did not start until after two years.

Although confined to lowland forest areas and of limited geographical distribution, Gonocaryum gracile does not appear to be seriously threatened by genetic erosion as it is rarely harvested.

Further research is needed to evaluate the potential of the traditional medicinal uses of Gonocaryum gracile.

[121]Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co- operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I— Z) pp. 1241—2444.
[137]Chan, Y.Y. et al., 1998. A secoiridoid and other constituents of Gonocaryum calleryanum. Phytochemistry 47(6): 1073—1077.
[169]Chuakul, W. & Chaikaew, C., 1998. Medicinal plants in Ubon Ratchathani Province (3). Thai Journal of Phytopharmacy 5(2): 28—56.
[174]Chuakul, W. & Soonthornchareonnon, N., 1997. Medicinal plants in Ubon Ratchathani Province (1). Thai Journal of Phytopharmacy 4(2): 29—61.
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[883]Sosef, M.S.M., Hong, L.T. & Prawirohatmodjo, S. (Editors), 1998. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 5(3). Timber trees: Lesser-known timbers. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands. 859 pp.

[446]Kaneko, T. et al., 1995. Secoiridoid and flavonoid glycosides from Gonocaryum calleryanum. Phytochemistry 39(1): 115—120.
[459]Keng, H., 1990. The concise flora of Singapore. Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Singapore University Press, Singapore. 222 pp.
[760]Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
[921]Teo, S.P. & Haron, N.W., 1999. Anatomical studies in West Malaysian Icacinaceae. Australian Systematic Botany 11(5—6): 729—738.
[968]Villiers, J.F., 1997. Nouvelles espèces de Gonocaryum Miquel (Icacinaceae) en Indochine [New species of Gonocaryum Miquel (Icacinaceae) in Indochina]. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique National de Belgique 66(1—2): 25—29.

Wongsatit Chuakul, Noppamas Soonthornchareonnon & Orawan Ruangsomboon

Chuakul, W., Soonthornchareonnon, N. & Ruangsomboon, O., 2003. Gonocaryum gracile Miq.. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J. and Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea