Litsea umbellata
Merr.
Mayang laurel tree
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Summary
Source: WikipediaLitsea umbellata is a species of tree in the family Lauraceae. It has also been known as L. cinerascens, L. gracilis and over 20 other synonyms (some originally considered endemic species or placed in other genus synonyms such as Tetranthera or Malapoenna). The known distribution includes wet tropical areas of Bangladesh, China (S. Yunnan, SW. Guangxi) Indochina, Malesia, through to New Guinea.
Description
A shrub. It keeps its leaves throughout the year. It grows up to 6 m high. The leaves are alternate. They are oval and rough. They have a prominent midrib. They are 8-12 cm long by 2.3-4 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 5-10 mm long. The flower head comes from the axils of leaves. It has a short stalk. The flowers are separately male and female on the same plant. There are 1-5 flowers together. They are very small and yellow. The fruit is round and 5-6 mm across.
Edible Uses
Young leaves are served raw, while mature leaves are added to curries. Juice extracted from the leaves is used to color rice green.
Traditional Uses
The young leaves are served raw. The mature leaves are put into curries. The juice extracted from the leaves is put into rice to give it a green colour.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It is found in moist places in evergreen forest. In China it grows in open forests between 300-1000 m altitude in southern China.
Where It Grows
Asia, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam,
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seeds.
Notes
There are 200 or 400 Litsea species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Boiloi dang, Fan plaa, Mo long, Nham sang, Pohon medang mayang, San hua mu jiang zi, Thingan-pwe
References (3)
- Jacquat, C., 1990, Plants from the Markets of Thailand. D.K. Book House p 35
- Li Xi-wen, Li Jie, Huang Puhua, van der Werff, H., Lauraceae. Flora of China.
- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 365
