Horsfieldia sucosa
Horsfieldia sucosa
The darah-darah or kumpang (Horsfieldia sucosa (King) Warb., 1897) is an arboreal species belonging to the Myristicaceae family.
Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Order Magnoliales,
Family Myristicaceae,
Genus Horsfieldia,
Species H. sucosa.
The term is basionym:
– Myristica sucosa King.
The terms are synonymous:
– Horsfieldia bracteosa Henderson;
– Horsfieldia bracteosa var. bracteosa J.Sinclair.
The following varieties are recognized within this species:
– Horsfieldia sucosa subsp. bifissa W.J.de Wilde;
– Horsfieldia sucosa subsp. bifissa W.J.deWilde;
– Horsfieldia sucosa subsp. sucosa.
Etymology –
The term Horsfieldia is named after a British physician and naturalist named Thomas Horsfield (1773-1859), known for his contributions to botany and zoology. He carried out a significant part of his work in Indonesia, where he collected many species of plants and animals, thus contributing to the knowledge of the biodiversity of this region.
The name was coined in honor of Thomas Horsfield to recognize his efforts and contribution to botanical research.
The specific epithet sucosa comes from the Latin word “succus,” which means “juice”, referring to the consistency of the fruit pulp.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Horsfieldia sucosa is a plant native to an area that includes Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
Its natural habitat is that of mixed dipterocarp and undisturbed coastal forests up to 800 m above sea level. Often on alluvial sites near or along rivers and streams, but also on slopes and ridges or on sandy and calcareous soils.
Description –
Horsfieldia sucosa is an evergreen and dioecious tree, with medium foliage up to 35 m high.
The trunk can be up to 1 m in diameter, with grayish bark and reddish sticky sap exuding from the wounds.
The twigs have a diameter of 2-10 mm, grey-brown (whitish) or straw-coloured, in contrast with the blackish color of the dried, early glabrous petioles, initially with rusty or greyish hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long ; bark coarsely striated or not, with a tendency to flake; conspicuous lenticels only on the very young parts.
The leaves are located on a 1-2 cm long petiole; they are simple, alternate, usually couplets, from oblong-elliptical to oblanceolate with entire margin and pointed apex; they have dimensions of 12-25 cm in length and 4-8 cm wide, with prominent ribs below, leathery, of a shiny dark green color above, lighter and opaque below.
The inflorescences are panicle-shaped, carried under the axils of the leaves; the female ones are 1-2 cm long and bear a few globose flowers with 2-3 lobes, rarely 4, 2-3 mm in diameter, greenish yellow in colour; the male ones are 6-15 cm long with numerous flowers, in groups of 3-7, of the same shape and colour, 1.5-2 mm in diameter.
The fruits are fleshy drupes, present in 1-4 per infructescence, ovoid to ellipsoid in shape, 2.5-3.5 cm in length and 2-2.5 cm in diameter, with a pericarp about 0.4 thick cm, initially green in colour, then yellowish or pinkish, which spontaneously open into two halves when ripe, containing a seed of the same shape covered by an aril.
Cultivation –
Horsfieldia sucosa is an evergreen tree that is sometimes harvested in the wild for its timber and edible fruit, which are used locally.
For its cultivation, keep in mind that it is a plant of humid tropical plains, where it is found at altitudes of up to 500 – 800 meters.
Under these conditions the tree can flower and bear fruit all year round.
This plant is practically unknown outside its areas of origin and rarely cultivated. It requires a humid tropical and subtropical climate, exposure to full sun or light shade and preferably sandy soils kept almost constantly humid.
Being a dioecious species, both the male and female forms must be cultivated if fruits and seeds are necessary.
The plant reproduces by seed, which should be planted as soon as possible having a short-term germination potential, in sandy loam rich in humus kept humid at a temperature of 24-26 °C.
Customs and Traditions –
Horsfieldia sucosa is a plant known by various common names; among these we remember: darah-darah, kumpang (Borneo); darahan, merampat, penarah, penarahan pendarahan, (Peninsula Malaysia); darah-darah (Sabah); bindara, binarah, kayo bela (Sarawak).
This plant is used both for wood, of good quality, and occasionally for various uses and the edible, but unappetising, fruits are sometimes consumed locally.
Locally, wood is used which varies in color between yellowish and pink.
Preparation Method –
Horsfieldia sucosa is a plant used locally for its wood and also for its edible fruits.
However, there are no known medicinal or other uses other than those of the wood.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://www.kew.org/herbcatimg/934482.jpg
– https://tropical.theferns.info/plantimages/0/c/0c5591a0301f077f63ceeba44cd15c84acbf06e6.jpg
Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.