Leea aequata — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves

The fruit and leaves are edible.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows in forests and shrublands between 200-1,100 m above sea level in S China.

Andamans, Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A shrub or small tree. The small branches have ridges along them. They have rusty hairs. The leaves have 1 or 2 leaflets along the stalk. The leaf stalks have rusty hairs. The leaves are oval and 6-22 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. The fruit is 5-7 mm across and has 4-6 seeds.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Propagation: Seed - Cuttings Air layering

Medicinal Uses

The plant contains an oil that inhibits the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Production

In China plants flower in April to May and fruit July to September.

Notes

Also put in the family Leeaceae. Leeaceae occur in the tropics. There are about 30-70 Leea species. It has an oil which stops the growth of bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Names & Synonyms

Dieng-soh-phyrnu-iong, Ginggiyang, Girang, Jembali makan, Jing jawngla, Kakajangha, Kya-petthein, Lea girang, Lengki, Naga-mauk, Surapadi, Velanasandi

Leea hirta Roxb. ex Hornem.

References (5)

Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2679
Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 320
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 1348
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 659
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew