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12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2

Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.

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

Mem. Werner. Nat. Hist. Soc., Edinb. 1: 76 (1811).

Echites scholaris L. (1767), Tabernaemontana alternifolia Burm. (1768), Echites pala Ham. (1822).

White cheesewood, milkwood, blackboard tree (En). Shaitan (Fr). Brunei: pulai lilin. Indonesia: pulai (general), pule (Javanese), rite (Ambon). Malaysia: pulai (Peninsular), kacau gitik (Kiput, Sarawak). Papua New Guinea: katung (Buang, Morobe Province), kambuu (Kanganaman, Sepik Province), herina (Hisui, Central Province). Philippines: dita (Tagalog, Bikul, Sulu), dalipaoen (Iloko), tanitan (Bisaya). Burma (Myanmar): taung meok, lettok. Laos: tinpet. Thailand: sattaban, tin pet (central), hassaban (southwestern). Vietnam: m[of] cua, s[uwx]a.

Alstonia scholaris is the most widely distributed Alstonia species, found from Sri Lanka and India through mainland South-East Asia and southern China, throughout Malesia, to northern Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. It has been planted elsewhere.

In the Philippines, a decoction of the bark is used as a febrifuge and tonic, as an emmenagogue, anticholeric and vulnerary. The latex is applied to ulcers and for rheumatic pains. In Thailand, the bark is used as an antidysenteric, astringent, and a remedy for colds and bronchitis. In Indo-China, the bark is used as a strengthening tonic, a febrifuge, in the treatment of abdominal pains, irregular menstruation, dysentery, diarrhoea and arthritis. A decoction is applied as a wash for skin diseases, and as a gargle. It is believed to be a galactagogue, but this may well be an example of doctrine of signs. In Papua New Guinea, the leaves or bark are widely used as a febrifuge, to relieve stomach complaints, diarrhoea and dysentery. The latex is drunk in small amounts as a poison antidote. Mention is made of its use for coughs, asthma, pneumonia and lung cancer, gout, and hypertension. In New Britain, bark sap squeezed into water is occasionally drunk to combat anaemia. Bark sap, drunk three times daily, is said to induce abortion. Trobriand Island girls chew the leaves as an oral contraceptive. A poultice made from the leaves has been reported as a good remedy against skin diseases. Alstonia scholaris is the most important source of pulai timber. The latex also provides a good-quality chewing gum. The tree is sometimes planted as an ornamental. In Java the wood was formerly used for school blackboards, hence the name 'scholaris'.

A medium-sized to large tree 10—50(—60) m tall, bole cylindrical, in older trees massively fluted, up to 125 cm in diameter, with stout buttresses up to 10 m tall which spread out at the base for up to 4 m, outer bark brown or yellowish-white, smooth but coming off evenly in small papery flakes, with horizontally enlarged lenticels and hoops, inner bark yellow to brown, usually tinged yellowish, with copious white latex; leaves in whorls of 4—8(—9), narrowly elliptical to obovate, (5—)6—17(—22) cm x (1.5—)2.5—7.5(—8.5) cm, apex obtuse or rounded, with 25—45(—55) pairs of secondary veins, petiole 5—20(—25) mm long; inflorescence mostly formed of dense bunches of flowers, many-flowered, pedicel 0—2 mm long, calyx pubescent, corolla pubescent outside; follicles glabrous. Alstonia scholaris is most abundant in monsoon areas, and it tolerates various soils and habitats, including secondary vegetation. It occurs from sea-level up to about 1250 m altitude. As an ornamental it has proved to be adaptable to the climates of southern Florida and California (United States).

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Stephen P. Teo

Teo, S.P., 2001. Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.. In: van Valkenburg, J.L.C.H. and Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea