Volume 8 > Part 1 > Year 2005 > Page 147 > Euphorbiaceae > Bridelia

7. Bridelia ovata Decne.wfo-0000423275

Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 3: 484. 1834; Baill., Étude Euphorb.: 583. 1858; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 495. 1866; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 274. 1887; Jabl. in Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 147. viii: 61, 63. 1915; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 3: 184. 1924; Gagnep. in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 5: 489. 1926; Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 26: 229. 1972; Whitmore, Tree Fl. Malaya 2: 74. 1973; Dressler, Blumea 41: 285, map 3. 1996; Dressler & Welzen in Welzen et al., Thai Forest Bull., Bot. 28: 64. 2000.— Amanoa ovata (Decne.) Baill., Adansonia 6: 336. 1866.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Scrambling shrub to tree, up to 8 m high; branchlets glabrous, with scattered lenticels. Stipules narrowly triangular, up to 7(–10) by up to 1.2 mm, glabrous, early caducous. Leaves: petiole (3–)4–6 mm long, glabrous; blade elliptic (to oblong), 5–18 by 2–8(–10) cm, length/width ratio (1.4–)2–2.2, chartaceous, glabrous on both sides, base (slightly cordate to) obtuse, margin entire, apex obtuse to rounded (to bluntly acute); venation prominent on both sides, nerves in 13–17 pairs.joining marginal vein, tertiary veins reticulate to scalariform. Inflorescences glomerules in axils of normal leaves, with 1 to more than 20 subsessile to shortly pedicelled flowers. Flowers yellowish green; staminate ones 3–5 mm in diam.; pistillate ones 4–6 mm in diam.; pedicel 1.5–2(–2.5) mm long; sepals triangular, up to 2 by 1.5 mm, glabrous, greenish cream tinged red; petals elliptic, 0.5–1.2 by 0.7–1 mm, whitish yellow, apex roundish or notched; staminal column ca 1 by 0.3 mm; free part of filaments up to 0.8 mm long; anthers shortly ellipsoid, ca 0.5 by 0.3–0.4 mm; ovary globose, 0.6–0.7(–1) mm in diam.; styles 2, only basally united, together with stigmas up to 1.2 mm long; stigmas deeply bifid. Fruits to 9 per glomerule, depressed-ellipsoid, apically emarginate, bilobate, 5–7 by 6–7.5 by 7–8 mm, 2-locular, pale greenish purple to black, endocarps 2, semigloboid, ca 6 by 4–5.5 by 3–3.5 mm, brown. Seeds semigloboid, with lateral furrow, ca 3.5–5 by 4.5–5 by 2–2.5 mm, reddish black.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Lampang, Tak, Nakhon Sawan; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei, Sakon Nakhon; SOUTH-EASTERN: Prachin Buri, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri; Rayong: SOUTH WESTERN: Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan; CENTRAL: Saraburi, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Nayok, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok), Nonthaburi; PENINSULAR: Surat Thani.

Distribution : Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, N Malaysia, Indonesia: E Java and Lesser Sunda Islands (type).

Ecology : Sandy beaches, savannas, dry evergreen and deciduous forests, moist monsoon forests; on sandy, calcareous soil or limestone; locally common; sea level up to 800 m alt.

Vernacular : Maka (มะกา), mai maka (ไมมะกา); cham-cha maka (ชำชามะกา), kong (กอง)(Northern); kong kaep (ก้องแกบ)(Chiang Mai); sa-lao (ส่าเหล้า), si-wa-la (สิวาลา)(Karen-Mae Hong Son); khi lao mat ka (ขี้เหล้ามาดกา)(Khon Kaen); mat ka (มัดกา, มาดกา)(Nong Khai); samsa (ซำซา)(Loei); khai maka (ไขมะกา), som ka (ส้มกา)(Central).

Uses: The leaves are used in Thailand for wrapping cigarettes and medicinally against lues (syphilis) and as a purgative.