Sapium sebiferum (L.) Dum.Cours.
Sapium sebiferum (L.) Dum.Cours.
MT134 : Sapium sebiferum (L.) Dum.Cours.
| Plant Category | : | Tree |
| Melghat's Flora's Serial No. | : | |
| Synonym | : | Triadica sebifera (L.) Small;
Carumbium sebiferum (L.) Kurz; Croton macrocarpus Rchb. ex Müll.Arg., nom. inval.; Croton sebiferum L.; Excoecaria sebifera (L.) Müll.Arg.; Sapium chihsinianum S.K.Lee; Sapium pleiocarpum Y.C.Tseng; Sapium sebiferum var. cordatum S.Y.Wang; Sapium sebiferum var. dabeshanense B.C.Ding & T.B.Chao; Sapium sebiferum var. multiracemosum B.C.Ding & T.B.Chao; Sapium sebiferum var. pendulum B.C.Ding & T.B.Chao; Seborium chinense Raf.; Seborium sebiferum (L.) Hurus.; Stillingfleetia sebifera (L.) Bojer; Stillingia sebifera (L.) Michx.; Stillingia sinensis (Lour.) Baill.; Triadica chinensis Spreng., sphalm.; Triadica sinensis Lour.; |
| Plant Common Name | : | Chicken Tree, Chinese tallow tree, Florida aspen, Gray Popcorn Tree |
| Plant Family | : | EUPHORBIACEAE |
| Description | : | a tree in the spurge family that typically reaches a maximum height of 15 m. The simple, deciduous leaves are alternate, broad rhombic to ovate in shape and have smooth edges, heart shaped and sometimes with an extended tail often resembling the Peepal tree. The leaves are bright green in color and slightly paler underneath. The tree is monoecious, producing male and female flowers on the same plant. At bloom it produces clusters of greenish-yellow and white flowers. The flowers occur in spike-like inflorescences up to 20 cm long, at abranch ends. Light green in color, these flowers are very conspicuous in the spring. Each female flower is solitary and has a three-lobed ovary, three styles, and no petals. They are located on short branches at the base of the spike. The male flowers occur in clusters at the upper nodes of the inflorescence. Fruits are three-lobed, three-valved capsules. As the capsules mature, their color changes from green to a brown-black. The capsule walls fall away and release three globose seeds with a white, tallow-containing covering. Seeds usually hang on the plants for several weeks. |
| Plant Location in Melghat | : | |
| Medicinal Use / Activity | : | The leaves and the roots are depurative, diuretic and laxative. A decoction is used in the treatment of oedema, constipation, poisoning by two plants - Polygonum perfoliatum and Tripterygium wilfordii, skin diseases etc. The leaves are particularly useful for treating boils. The seed is anti-dote, emetic, hydragogue and purgative. In China it is taken internally, which is a rather questionable practice considering its toxic nature. The root bark is diuretic. It is used in the treatment of snake bites and skin ulcers. The juice of the tree (the sap is probably meant here) is acrid and vesicant. |
| Plant's Phytochemicals | : | COMPOUNDS: Astragalin; celastrol; ellagic acid; Gallic acid; isoquercitin; kaempferol; lauric acid; Moretenol; Moretenone; Octadecanoate; oleic acid; palmitic acid; quercetin; Tetradecanoic acid; Xanthoxylin; ACTIVE COMPOUNDS (6): Quercetin; Kaempferol; Palmitic acid; Celastrol; Ellagic acid; Gallic Acid; |
| Plant's Current Status | : | |
| Plant's Cross Database Reference | : | 259142 |
| Reference | : | Prabha Y. Bhogaonkar and Pankaj A. Dhole; "Checklist of Flora of Melghat"; Chief Conservator of Forest & Field Director, Melghat Tiger Project, Camp, Amravati (2018 - 2019); Book |
| Reference | : | ~ Prabha Y. Bhogaonkar and Pankaj A. Dhole; "Checklist of Flora of Melghat"; Chief Conservator of Forest & Field Director, Melghat Tiger Project, Camp, Amravati
(2018 - 2019); Book PMID : |
| Kingdom | : Plantae - Plants |
|---|---|
| Phylum | : Tracheophyta |
| Subkingdom | : Tracheobionta - Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | : Spermatophyta - Seed plants |
| Division | : Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class | : Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | : Rosidae |
| Order | : Euphorbiales |
| Family | : Euphorbiaceae - Spurge family |
| Genus | : Sapium L. |
| Species | : Sapium sebiferum (L.) Dum.Cours. |