Crypteronia paniculata

Blume

Java crypteronia tree

PenaeaceaeLeavesSpice/Beverage

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(c) ab_satta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by ab_satta

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Aditya Gadkari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves as condiment, Spice

Young shoots are eaten as a vegetable and used to flavor rice.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dense forest. It grows from near sea level to 1,500 m above sea level in Java.

Andamans, Asia, Cambodia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Fiji, Micronesia, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen

How to Identify

A tree. It grows 10-20 m tall. It usually branches near the base. The crown is irregular and dense. The branches are reddish brown. The leaves are opposite and have short leaf stalks. They are narrowly oval. The base is rounded or wedge shaped. They taper to the tip. They are light green. They are 7-25 cm long by 3-12 cm wide. The leaf stalk has a furrow on the upper side. The flowering shoots are slender and drooping. They are in the axils of fallen leaves. They are 7-30 cm long and have many flowers. The flowers are pale green or yellow. The fruit are 2-celled capsules. The seeds are very small.

Medicinal Uses

The young shoots are used to flavor rice.

Other Uses

The yellowish-red timber is hard and durable. It is used for furniture, cart wheels and casing. The wood is used for fuel.

Notes

Also put in the family Crypteroniaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Bekoi, Berkol, Buah babi, Champrenh, Goru-mora, Ka sawm, Kayu cheleng, Ki banen, Krawn, Mai kesai, Pi kui, Pohon keriptera jawa, Rupal, Sempoh, Trab tum, Tukoi

Crypteronia glabra (Wall.) BlumeCrypteronia pubescens Blume

References (9)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 148
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 703
Cengel, D. J. & Dany, C., (Eds), 2016, Integrating Forest Biodiversity Resource Management and Sustainable Community Livelihood Development in the Preah Vihear Protected Forest. International Tropical Timber Organization p 119
Flora of China. www.eFloras.org
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 98, 189
Ochse, J.J. et al, 1931, Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Asher reprint. p 181
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 215
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew