Titberry, Indian allophylus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Sapindaceae |
Genus: | Allophylus |
Species: | A. cobbe |
Binomial name | |
Allophylus cobbe | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Allophylus cobbe, commonly known as titberry or Indian allophylus, is a pantropical, shrub in the family Sapindaceae with many uses in traditional medicine. It has a highly variable morphology throughout its range and may prove to be more than one species.
The described size of Allophylus cobbe varies greatly from place to place. In Australia it is known as a small to large shrub, and "never a tree". [3] In India however it is described as a "shrub to small tree", [4] while in Papua New Guinea it is described as a tree "up to 25 m high". [5] The compound leaves are usually trifoliolate but may have from one to five leaflets. [5] [6] The petiole may be from 2 to 11 cm (0.8 to 4.3 in) long, the petiolules of the leaflets up to 1 cm (0.39 in) long. [3] [4] [7] The leaflet blades are acuminate, obovate or elliptic, with pointed tips and cuneate bases, and the margins may be crenate towards the distal end. [3] [4] The leaf surfaces vary from glabrous to tomentose [3] [4]
Many small actinomorphic flowers to 2 mm (0.1 in) diameter are borne on a 2–16 cm (0.8–6.3 in) long inflorescence, which is racemose and may be branched or unbranched. [4] [6] The resulting fruit are a glabrous red drupe measuring from 4 to 16 mm (0.2 to 0.6 in) in diameter, containing a single large seed. [3] [4] [5] [7]
This species was first described in Species Plantarum by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, who gave it the name Rhus cobbe. [8] It was later renamed Allophylus cobbe by William Forsyth Junior and published in Botanical Nomenclator in 1794. [9]
The wide variation in appearance of this species lead some to believe that it is polyphyletic and that the genus is in need of taxonomic revision. [3] [6]
Allophylus cobbe has a pantropical distribution, being found in tropical (and some subtropical) areas of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. [3] [10]
It grows in monsoon forest, littoral forest and on the margins of mangrove forest, often on sandy soils. In Australia it is recorded at elevations from sea level to around 500 m (1,600 ft). [3] [4] [7] [11]
Titberry has many uses in Ayurveda and other traditional medicine practices. [12] The plant has been used as a mouthwash and to treat ulcers and wounds, bone fractures, rashes, bruises, diarrhoea, fever and stomach ache. [3] [4] [13] [14]
The timber has been used for roofing and firewood, and for making bows, rafts and fish traps. The fruits are edible, and can also be used as fish poison. [3] [15] [16]
This species is the host plant for the moths Cleora injectaria and Gonodontis clelia , and for the butterfly Nacaduba pavana singapura. [15] [16]
Sumac, also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including East Asia, Africa, and North America. Sumac is used as a spice, as a dye, and in medicine.
Acacia penninervis, commonly known as mountain hickory wattle, or blackwood, is a perennial shrub or tree is an Acacia belonging to subgenus Phyllodineae, that is native to eastern Australia.
Melaleuca lanceolata commonly known as black paperbark, moonah, Rottnest Island teatree and western black tea tree is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to Australia where it occurs in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. It is a densely foliaged tree with rough bark, which flowers prolifically in summer.
Boronia muelleri, commonly known as the forest boronia or pink boroina, is a flowering plant that occurs in forest, woodland and heath in Victoria and New South Wales in Australia. It is an erect, woody shrub or small tree with pinnate leaves and up to fifteen pink to white four-petalled flowers arranged in leaf axils in spring and summer.
Atractocarpus chartaceus, commonly known as the narrow-leaved gardenia, is a species of evergreen flowering plant in the madder and coffee family Rubiaceae. It is mostly found in subtropical rainforest of eastern Australia, and it is cultivated for its fragrant flowers and colourful fruit.
Phaleria clerodendron, commonly known as scented daphne, scented phaleria or rosy apple, is an evergreen tree or tall shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is endemic to the rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia.
Rhus coriaria, commonly called Sicilian sumac, tanner's sumach, or elm-leaved sumach, is a deciduous shrub to small tree in the cashew family Anacardiaceae. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia. The dried fruits are used as a spice, particularly in combination with other spices in the mixture called za'atar.
Grevillea stenobotrya is a shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae that is endemic to arid regions of Australia. Common names include rattle-pod grevillea, sandhill grevillea, sandhill oak and sandhill spider flower.
Lysiphyllum cunninghamii is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to northern Australia where it occurs from Western Australia through the Northern Territory to Queensland.
Eremophila falcata is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a widely distributed shrub with distinctive curved leaves and white, lilac-coloured or pink flowers.
Acacia dunnii, commonly known as elephant ear wattle or Dunn's wattle, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves.
Xanthostemon paradoxus, commonly known as bridal tree or northern penda, is a shrub or tree species in the family Myrtaceae that is endemic to Australia.
Trema tomentosa, commonly known as poison peach, is a shrub or tree in the family Cannabaceae native to the Indian subcontinent, south east Asia, through the islands of the south west Pacific and the east coast and northern half of Australia
Adenodolichos paniculatus is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to tropical Africa. The specific epithet means "with panicles", referring to the plant's many-branched inflorescence.
Palaquium galactoxylum, commonly known as Cairns pencil cedar, Daintree maple or red silkwood, is a species of very large tree in the family Sapotaceae which is endemic to rainforests of New Guinea and northern Australia. It can produce spectacularly large buttress roots.
Salix caspica is a plant from the willow genus (Salix) within the willow family (Salicaceae). The natural range extends from eastern European Russia to far western China.
Memecylon caeruleum is a shrub or tree species in the Melastomataceae family. It is found from New Guinea, west through Southeast Asia to Tibet, Zhōngguó/China. It has become an invasive weed in the Seychelles. It has some local use for wood and food.
Hydriastele wendlandiana, commonly known as Wendland's palm, cat o' nine tails, creek palm or kentia palm, is a tall, multi-stemmed tree in the palm family Arecaceae. It is native to New Guinea and the Australian states of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Myristica insipida, commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to the commercially-important species of nutmeg, M. fragrans.
Calamus moti is a climbing rainforest plant in the palm family Arecaceae, which is endemic to Queensland. It has a slim flexible stem which does not support the plant, instead it climbs to the forest canopy with the assistance of long tendrils armed with stout recurved hooks.
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