Oreocnide rubescens
(Blume) Miq.
Stinging tree
(c) 虫虫, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Stems
Young leaves and shoots are eaten raw or steamed. Stems are boiled and eaten with chilli sauce.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. In Indonesia it grows from sea level to 1,700 m above sea level. It grows in forests and shady locations. It grows in Yunnan in China.
Asia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It has a crooked trunk and many branches. It grows 3-15 m tall. The leaves are alternate. They are narrowly oval and wedge shaped at the base. It tapers to the tip. There are teeth along the edge. The flowering shoots are in the axils of leaves or where leaves have fallen. The flowers are in balls and small. They are green or yellow. The fruit is white and juicy.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seeds.
Names & Synonyms
Molesaten, Nangsi, Palanggungan, Pohon jelatang, Urang urangan
References (8)
- Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 2274 (As Villebrunea sylvatica)
- Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 5
- Ghorbani, A., et al, 2012, A comparison of the wild food plant use knowledge of ethnic minorities in Naban River Watershed Nature Reserve, Yunnan, SW China. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine; 8:17
- Hariyadi, B., 2008, The Entwined Tree: Traditional Natural Resource Management of Serampas, Jambi, Indonesia. Ph. D thesis. Univ. or Hawaii. p 402, 444 (As Villebrunea rubescens)
- Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 223 (As Villebrunea rubescens)
- Ochse, J. J. et al, 1931, Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Asher reprint. p 723 (As Villebrunea rubescens)
- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 423
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
