Record Number
633
PROSEA Handbook Number
16: Stimulants
Taxon
Diplospora DC.
Family
RUBIACEAE
Major Taxa and Synonyms
Major species and synonyms
— Diplospora kunstleri King & Gamble, synonym: Urophyllum potatorium King.
— Diplospora malaccensis Hook.f., synonym: Tricalysia malaccensis (Hook.f.) Merrill.
— Diplospora kunstleri King & Gamble, synonym: Urophyllum potatorium King.
— Diplospora malaccensis Hook.f., synonym: Tricalysia malaccensis (Hook.f.) Merrill.
Vernacular Names
— Diplospora kunstleri: Peninsular Malaysia: kahwah hutan.
— Diplospora malaccensis: Peninsular Malaysia: gading-gading, kahwah hutan, uloh-uloh. Thailand: yamkhwai (peninsular).
— Diplospora malaccensis: Peninsular Malaysia: gading-gading, kahwah hutan, uloh-uloh. Thailand: yamkhwai (peninsular).
Distribution
Diplospora comprises some 20 species. Diplospora kunstleri is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. Diplospora malaccensis occurs in peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.
Uses
A hot decoction of the leaves of both species used to be drunk in Peninsular Malaysia as a substitute for coffee. The wood of Diplospora malaccensis has proved suitable for use in 'guillotine machines' (probably some cutting device), where it lasted three times as long as 'chengal' (Neobalanocarpus heimii (King) P. Ashton).
Observations
Leaves opposite, entire, coriaceous; stipules triangular. Flowers bisexual or male, small, in short axillary cymes or fascicles, 4-merous; calyx with short tube and triangular lobes; corolla trumpet-shaped, whitish, lobes contorted to the left in bud; disk annular; stamens 4, inserted on the corolla throat, exserted; ovary inferior, 2-locular with 1—3(—6) ovaries in each cell, stigma 2-lobed. Fruit a small, globose or ellipsoid berry, turning orange and red when mature. Seed not embedded in the placenta, angular, hemispherical, spherical or flattened.
— Diplospora kunstleri: shrub or small tree up to 4 m tall; leaves oblanceolate or oblong, 15—18 cm x 4.5—6.5 cm, shortly acuminate, with 8—10 pairs of secondary veins; corolla with about 3 mm long tube and very short lobes; fruit ovoid, about 10 mm long.
— Diplospora malaccensis: small to medium-sized tree up to 18 m tall with fairly straight bole and smooth to cracked or flaky, white to yellowish-brown, grey or black bark; leaves elliptical, 4—15 cm x 1—6.5 cm, shortly acuminate or acute, with 4—6(—7) pairs of secondary veins; corolla with about 2.5 mm long tube and c. 1.5 mm long lobes; fruit globose, about 17 mm in diameter.
The wood of Diplospora malaccensis is apparently very hard. Heartwood pale yellow-brown with a slight pink tinge, not distinct from the sapwood; grain straight; texture fine and even. Growth rings visible to the naked eye; vessels very small to moderately small, mostly solitary but with some radial pairs; parenchyma moderately abundant, apotracheal diffuse, paratracheal confluent; rays very fine, 1—2-seriate; ripple marks absent. The wood does not develop surface checks when carefully seasoned. The genera Diplospora and Discospermum Dalz. are closely related, but the latter can be distinguished by its larger, drier fruits and the frequently well-developed placental outgrowths around the seeds. Diplospora malaccensis most probably does not belong to Diplospora, but rather to a genus of the tribe Hypobathreae; its proper generic position remains to be determined. Diplospora kunstleri is found in montane forest at 1100—1400 m altitude. Diplospora malaccensis occurs in lowland and montane forest up to 1500 m altitude.
— Diplospora kunstleri: shrub or small tree up to 4 m tall; leaves oblanceolate or oblong, 15—18 cm x 4.5—6.5 cm, shortly acuminate, with 8—10 pairs of secondary veins; corolla with about 3 mm long tube and very short lobes; fruit ovoid, about 10 mm long.
— Diplospora malaccensis: small to medium-sized tree up to 18 m tall with fairly straight bole and smooth to cracked or flaky, white to yellowish-brown, grey or black bark; leaves elliptical, 4—15 cm x 1—6.5 cm, shortly acuminate or acute, with 4—6(—7) pairs of secondary veins; corolla with about 2.5 mm long tube and c. 1.5 mm long lobes; fruit globose, about 17 mm in diameter.
The wood of Diplospora malaccensis is apparently very hard. Heartwood pale yellow-brown with a slight pink tinge, not distinct from the sapwood; grain straight; texture fine and even. Growth rings visible to the naked eye; vessels very small to moderately small, mostly solitary but with some radial pairs; parenchyma moderately abundant, apotracheal diffuse, paratracheal confluent; rays very fine, 1—2-seriate; ripple marks absent. The wood does not develop surface checks when carefully seasoned. The genera Diplospora and Discospermum Dalz. are closely related, but the latter can be distinguished by its larger, drier fruits and the frequently well-developed placental outgrowths around the seeds. Diplospora malaccensis most probably does not belong to Diplospora, but rather to a genus of the tribe Hypobathreae; its proper generic position remains to be determined. Diplospora kunstleri is found in montane forest at 1100—1400 m altitude. Diplospora malaccensis occurs in lowland and montane forest up to 1500 m altitude.
Selected Sources
[5] Ali, S.J. & Robbrecht, E., 1991. Remarks on the tropical Asian and Australian taxa included in Diplospora or Tricalysia (Rubiaceae-Ixoroideae-Gardenieae). Blumea 35: 279—305.
[15] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Slightly revised reprint of the 1935 edition. 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.
[23] Desch, H.E., 1954. Manual of Malayan timbers. Malayan Forest Records No 15. Vol. 2. Malaya Publishing House, Singapore. p. 494.
[28] Gagnepain, F., 1907—1950. Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. 7 volumes & supplement. Masson & Cie, Paris, France.
[55] Ridley, H.N., 1922—1925. The flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co., London, United Kingdom.
[75] Whitmore, T.C. & Ng, F.S.P. (Editors), 1972—1989. Tree flora of Malaya. A manual for foresters. 4 volumes. Malayan Forest Records No 26. Longman Malaysia Sdn. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur & Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
[15] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Slightly revised reprint of the 1935 edition. 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.
[23] Desch, H.E., 1954. Manual of Malayan timbers. Malayan Forest Records No 15. Vol. 2. Malaya Publishing House, Singapore. p. 494.
[28] Gagnepain, F., 1907—1950. Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. 7 volumes & supplement. Masson & Cie, Paris, France.
[55] Ridley, H.N., 1922—1925. The flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co., London, United Kingdom.
[75] Whitmore, T.C. & Ng, F.S.P. (Editors), 1972—1989. Tree flora of Malaya. A manual for foresters. 4 volumes. Malayan Forest Records No 26. Longman Malaysia Sdn. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur & Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Author(s)
Rina R.P. Irwanto
Correct Citation of this Article
Irwanto, R.R.P., 2000. Diplospora DC.. In: van der Vossen, H.A.M. and Wessel, M. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 16: Stimulants. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea
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