Hymenodictyon orixense (Roxb.) Mabb. (= H. excelsum (Roxb.) Wall.)

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 149

Hymenodictyon orixense (Roxb.) Mabb. (= H. excelsum (Roxb.) Wall.)

Names.

Myanmar: dumsa-gyaw, khu-than, mai-son-pu. English: bridal couch tree.

Range.

India, Myanmar, Indo-China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippines, Sulawesi, and the Moluccas. In Myanmar, found in Bago, Mandalay, and Yangon.

Uses.

Bark: Used as a febrifuge and tonic.

Notes.

In Indo-China the bark is used as tonic; also, the species apparently has two varieties- var. Hymenodictyon orixense subglabrum Pierre, of which the pulverized wood is found in native pharmacies as a remedy for skin diseases, and var. Hymenodictyon orixense velutinum Pierre, which is especially used as a women’s remedy ( Perry 1980). In the Philippines the species is a substitute for Cinchona due to its antiperiodic effects, also the leaves are applied as a poultice for headache ( Perry 1980).

Reported constituents include a catechol tannin containing phloraglucin, some phlobaphenes, traces of catechol tannin without phloroglucin (analogous to quinatannic acid) not combined with alkaloid, oxycoumarin, B-mannose, methyl sugar, and heteroside of which some elements could not be isolated ( Perry 1980).

References.

Perry (1980), Forest Department (1999).