2844

12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3

Reissantia indica (Willd.) N. Hallé

Mém. Inst. Fr. Afr. Noire 64: 85 (1962).

CELASTRACEAE

2n = unknown

Hippocratea indica Willd. (1797), Pristimera indica (Willd.) A.C. Smith (1941).

Indonesia: areuy mangender, hoeh tutung (Sundanese), saripangil (Dusun, Kalimantan). Philippines: lagitik (Tagalog). Vietnam: d[aa]y h[us]c.

Reissantia indica is widespread, but occurs scattered in India, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, southern China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo, the Philippines and Sulawesi.

In Java the stem juice of Reissantia indica is drunk to treat fever; heated leaves are administered to women after childbirth, and a leaf poultice is applied against rheumatism.

Several triterpenoids have been isolated from Reissantia indica bark, e.g. the unusual triterpene anhydride celastranhydride, which has also been found in Cassine and Kokoona. The chinone pristimerin has been isolated from the root bark; this compound showed antibacterial activity. Dulcite is another compound found in Reissantia indica root bark.

A small liana or shrub up to 3 m tall. Leaves decussately opposite, simple, ovate to elliptical or elliptical-oblong, 3.5—13 cm x 2—6.5 cm, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, margins crenulate, pinnately veined; petiole 5—8 mm long; stipules small, triangular, 3-lobed, laciniate or fimbriate, caducous. Inflorescence an axillary dichotomous cyme up to 6 cm long, usually with very short peduncle. Flowers bisexual, regular, small, pale yellow or greenish-yellow, 5-merous; calyx almost divided to the base; petals free, oblong, 1—1.5 mm long; stamens 3; disk inconspicuous; ovary superior, 3-celled, style short, stigma obscure. Fruit consisting of 3 ellipsoid to obovoid follicles 3—5.5 cm x 1—1.5 cm. Seeds elliptical, with a basal wing, up to 3.5 cm x 1 cm.
Reissantia comprises 7 species and occurs in Africa and tropical Asia; in the Malesian region 4 species are found.

Reissantia indica occurs in rain forest and monsoon forest, also in secondary forest and thickets, up to 650 m altitude.

Although Reissantia indica occurs scattered, it seems sufficiently widespread and adapted to divergent habitats to be protected against genetic erosion.

The value of Reissantia indica for traditional medicine seems limited at present, and it is unlikely that it will increase in the future.

[247]Flora Malesiana (various editors), 1950—. Foundation Flora Malesiana. Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, the Netherlands.
[334]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.

[265]Gamlath, C.B., Gunatilaka, A.A.L., Tezuka, Y., Kikuchi, T. & Balasubramaniam, S., 1990. Quinonemethide, phenolic and related triterpenoids of plants of Celastraceae: further evidence for the structure of celastranhydride. Phytochemistry 29(10): 3189—3192.
[331]Hegnauer, R., 1962—1997. Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen [Chemotaxonomy of plants]. 11 volumes. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland.
[731]Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.

Pudjiastuti

Pudjiastuti, 2003. Reissantia indica (Willd.) N. Hallé. 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