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Arcangelisia flava (L.) Merr.
| Family Name: | Menispermaceae |
| Common Name: | Yellow Fruit Moonseed, Takop, Abutra |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) |
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| Plant Growth Form | Climber |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Hainan, Indochina, Southern Peninsular Thailand, Northern and Central Sumatra, Malaysia, Singapore, Central Java, throughout Borneo and Philippines, Central and Northern Celebes, Northern Moluccas, New Guinea. |
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| Native Habitat | Terrestrial |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a liana with cup-like petiole scars and injured stem produce yellow sap. |
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| Foliage | Petiole is 4 – 20 cm long, swollen at both ends and bend like a knee at the base. Leaves are ovate to elliptic (10 – 25 cm long and 5.5 – 19 cm wide) with rounded or slightly cordate leaf base and acuminate leaf tip. Leaves are palmately veined at the base with 1–3 pairs of secondary veins usually arising from above halfway along the midrib. Veins are prominent on both surfaces and possess hollow domatia in the secondary veins axils on the lower surface. Leaves dry matte with inconspicuous veins pattern. |
| Flowers | Inflorescence is a slender panicle (10 – 50 cm long) and occurs axillary or on stem. Male flower has 3 – 4 tiny outer sepals (less than 1 mm long), 3 + 3 larger inner sepals which are elliptic to ovate (1.5 – 2.5 mm long) and stamens about 0.5 – 1 mm long. Female flower has 6 sepals (2.5 – 4 mm long) which are narrowly oblong and become reflexed. The reduced male organs in the female flower are tiny and scale-like. Female flower also has 3 carpels and a broad stigma. |
| Fruit | Fruits are borne in a branched cluster (5 – 45 cm long) at the axillary or on the stem. Within the branched cluster, fruits usually occur in group of 1 – 3, often forming a club-shape. Each fruit is yellow and appears slightly laterally compressed (2.2 – 3 cm long and 2.5 – 3.3 cm wide), smooth and drying wrinkled. Endocarp is woody and the surface is covered densely with fibers. |
| Habitat | It is found usually in forests, sometimes near river banks, up to 1000 m altitude. In Singapore, it is found in coastal forest. |
| Taxonomy | There are 2 species in the genus, A. flava, which is wide-spread and has small fruits, while A. tympanopoda which is endemic to New Guinea and has large fruits. |
| Cultivation | Propagated from stem cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Others: The fruits are reportedly eaten and dispersed by orangutans, gibbons and macaques in Eastern Borneo. Arcangelisia flava contains berberine, a plant alkaloid, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. In Philippines, it is used as an antiseptic to clean wounds and skin irritations. |
Landscaping Features
| Landscape Uses | Trellis / Arbour / Pergola |
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Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
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| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
Foliar
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
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References
| References | Forman, L.L. . 1986. Menispermaceae. Flora Malesiana, ser. I. 10 (2). 157–253 Lim, R.C.J., Lindsay, S., Middleton, D.J., Ho, B.C., Leong, P.K.F., Niissalo, M.A., van Welzen, P.C., Esser, H.J., Ganesan, S.K., Lua, H.K., Johnson, D.M., Murray, N.A., Leong-Skornickova, J., Thomas, D.C. and Ali Ibrahim. . 2018. New records and rediscoveries of plants in Singapore. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. 70. 1. 67 - 90 |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 33747 |
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| Species ID | 8161 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |