Homalanthus populneus

Kingdom: Plantae

Divisi: Magnoliphyta

Classis: Magnoliopsida

Order: Malphigiales

Family: Euphobiaceae

Genus: Homalanthus

Species: Homalanthus populneus Pax.

Local name: Kareumbi

A small tree, up to 6(-10) m tall, glabrous and with watery latex; bark greyish and roughened; crown up to 18 cm in diameter, flattish with spreading branches.

Leaves triangular-ovate to rhombic-ovate, not peltate, 3-12 cm × 2.5-10 cm, entire, base almost truncate with two small glands at the base of the blade, apex acuminate; blades glaucous beneath, withering yellow to reddish; petiole 2-7 cm long, reddish, glandless.

Flowers in terminal, 10-25 cm long racemes; male flowers many, with 6-10 stamens; female flowers 2-8 at the base of the raceme, long-stalked, with 2 long stigmas; bracts of male flowers with a pair of glands slightly shorter than bracts, stamens (6-)8-10.

Fruit a subglobose capsule, ca. 1 cm in diameter, two-lobed, not carinate, glaucous, with 2 cavities each containing a single black seed.

Benefit: The roots are used locally as a medicine against evil spirits, the leaves are used against diarrhea, while the fruits are applied to treat wounds. The bark and leaves also form ingredients for a black dye. The leaves are used as an ingredient in fish poison.

Location:Zone 1 of UPI Botanic Garden

Synonyms:

Carumbium populneum (Geiseler) Mull.Arg.
Carumbium populneus var. minus Mull.Arg.
Carumbium populifolium Reinw. ex Blume
Excoecaria laevis Blanco
Homalanthus leschenaultianus A.Juss.
Homalanthus populneus var. genuinus Pax & K.Hoffm.
Homalanthus populneus var. laevis (Blanco) Merr.
Homalanthus populneus var. minor (Mull.Arg.) Merr.
Homalanthus populneus var. siccus Pax
Homalanthus sulawesianus Airy Shaw
Stillingia populnea Geiseler