A dioecious bushy treelet that grows to a height of 9m. Stems are glaucous and strongly constricted. Leaves are simple, spiral, and exstipulate Blade is round and broadly pointed, not lobed, thin and leathery, palmate, and shows 8–9 pairs of secondary nerves. Petiole is 6–30cm long. Stipules are membranaceous, fulvous–pubescent, oblong, 1–3cm long, deciduous, entirely or shallowly wavy, and dentate. Flowers are very small; male flowers consist of three sepals that are 1mm long, with 4–10 stamens, the anthers of which are 4-locular; female flowers are 2–3-lobed, pubescent and comprise a 3-locular ovary. Fruits are capsular, 1–1.5cm long, glaucous green, and covered with fleshy spines.

Emetic and antipyretic (roots)

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used to induce vomiting, to treat haemoptysis and fever (roots); Applied to wounds to promote healing (juice of bark); to stop dysentery (decoction of the bark); to heal wounds (leaves).

Christophe Wiart. Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific, P:168-169, CRC Press, June 2006.