Labisia pumila (Bl.) F.-Vill.
Null / Kacip fatimah (Bru.); Bakong entalun (Dus.)
Description
Traditional Medicinal Uses
Ecology
Propagation
Distribution
Precaution
Epiphytic woody herb that can reach up to 50 cm high. Leaves are simple, spirally arranged, dark green and erect. Leaf blade is elliptic to lanceolate, acuminate at apex, acute or obtuse at base with toothed or subentire margin. Stems are rarely branching, red to brown and producing fine roots. Midribs are persistent. Inflorescence a raceme arising from leaf axils. Flowers are whitish-cream to pink and star- shaped. Fruit a subglobose, fleshy
Roots are crushed, made into a poultice and applied externally to skin to relieve fever, wounds and ulcers. Bark decoction is taken orally for diarrhea. The whole plant is made into decoction and taken orally to assist digestion and as sore relief. It is also believed that herbal bath of the plant can provide protection against evil possession. Antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory activities are observed in
It thrives in degraded, lowland mixed dipterocarp forests, on flat grounds and near running freshwater. It prefers fertile, moist but well-drained soil under sunlight to partial shade.
Seeds and stem cutting.
Probably native of Asia or South-West parts of United States and now widely distributed in warm temperate, tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.
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