whiteflower embelia, Embelia ribes

Embelia ribes Burm.f. is distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Xizang, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. It contains  (+)-Catechin, 5-(8Z-Heptadecenyl)-1,3-benzenediol,  5-(8Z,11Z-Heptadecadienyl)-1,3-benzenediol,  3-O-beta-D-Glucopyranosyl sitosterol,  (-)-beta-Sitosterol,  Embelin

Floral Description:

According to Flora of China:

Shrubs scandent. Branchlets angled, longitudinally ridged, densely tawny or rusty papillose-tomentose. Petiole 5-10 mm, marginate to base; leaf blade elliptic, oblong, or narrowly obovate, (3.5-)5-8(-10) × (1.5-)3-3.5 cm, papery, leathery or rarely cartilaginous, glabrous, pellucid or black punctate, base cuneate or rounded, margin revolute, entire, apex acuminate, rarely subacute; lateral veins inconspicuous. Inflorescences terminal, pinnately pyramidal paniculate, (6-) 10-l5(-30) cm; bracts subulate or lanceolate, 1-1.5 mm, sparsely puberulent abaxially, black punctate-lineate, margin entire, sparsely glandular puberulent, apex subulate. Flowers greenish or white, (4 or)5-merous, papery, staminate 2-2.5 mm, pistillate 1.5-2 mm. Pedicel (2-)3-3.5 mm in staminate, 1.5-2.5 mm in pistillate, sparsely to densely papillose puberulent. Sepals deltate, pellucid-punctate, glandular papillose adaxially and on margin, apex acuminate. Petals free, elliptic or oblong, papery, pellucid punctate, densely glandular granulose inside, margin entire, long glandular papillose, apex acute to obtuse. Stamens subequalling petals or slightly exserted to 1 mm in staminate and 2/3 petal length in pistillate; anthers ovate or oblong, base sagittate, apex rounded, connective black punctate. Ovary glabrous. Stigma capitate or 2- or 3-lobed. Fruit red or scarlet, globose or ovoid,(2-)3-4 (-5) mm in diam., smooth, wrinkled when dry, densely black punctate.

 

Common Names:

in English: whiteflower embelia
in Cambodia: chou pruc
in China: bai hua suan teng guo, xian suan qiang
in India: ambti, amodha, amogha, anthunashana, baavdinga, baba-rang, baberang, babrung, bai badang, bai-bidang, baibidang, baibirang, baibiranga, baibring, bakul lata, baobadang,
baobarang, bhabhiramg, bhaibirrung, bhasmaka, bidanga, biranga, biranje-kabali, branj cabuli, campinattati, cantu, carukkaraikkulikam, chibatandula, chitra, chitra-tandula, chitrabija, chitratandula, cintamai, citratandula, gahara, gardabha, ghosha, hulimeese, jantughna, jantunashaka, jvidangaka, kairala, kairali, kaivilankam, kakannie, kapali, kapuliyarici, karicunti, karkannie, karkunnie, kattukkodi, kattukkoti, kattukodi, keralam, kevala, kirumikkinam,
kirumiyani, kirumiyari, kitacatturu, kitappakai, krimighna, krimiha, krimikantaka, krimiripu, krimishetru, krmighna, krmiripu, mantiyattaimarukkinron, mirukakamini, mirukakamiyam,
mirukavakkini, mogha, mrigagamini, parivilankam, pavaka, pirelahara, potosul, pu-valli, pulupakai, rasayana, sangrik asumbo, shudratandula, silgilla, suchitrabija, tandula, tantulam, tantuliyam, thabasi, tiriitticanni, tiruvittikanni, titcanatantu, tlingte, tundula, tunduliyaka, urucakam, vaavadinga, vaayu vidangam, vaayu vilanga, vaayu-vilanga, vaayuvidangam, vai-vidang, vai-vidang kala, vai vilangam, vaibidang kala, vaibidang lal, vaibidang lal-kala, vailangam, vaivaring, vaividang, vaividangam, vaividungalu, vaivilangam, vaivitankam, vara, varana, varnanai, vatari, vavading, vavadinga, vavding, vavding lal, vavding lal kala, vavdinga, vayi-valannam, vayi-vilangam, vayi-vitangamu, vayi-vulanga, vayuilankum, vayivilanga, vayivilangam, vayivilangamu, vayvilankam, vayvitankam, vayu-vilamga, vayu-vilamgam, vayu-vilangam, vayu-vilangam- chettu, vayu vilankam, vayubaliga, vayubilagu, vayuvidang kaala, vayuvidang lal, vayuvidang lalkali, vayuvidanga, vayuvilanga, vayuvilankam, vayvarang, vayvidamg, vayvidand lal-kala, vayvidang kala, vayvidang lal, vayvilankam, vayvirang, vella, vellah, vellai, vellal, vayu-vilamga, vennoccilvirai, vicalam, vidanga, vidangah, vidangam, vidangamu, vilal, vilalarici, vilanga, vilangamu, vilankam, viranga, visalam, vishaul, vitankam, vivilangam, vizhaalari, vyivilangamu, vizhal, vizhalari, vollai, vrishanasana, vrishanashana, vrishnasana, vvavadinga, vyvirang, waiwarang, wawrung
in Indonesia: aka sekileng, areuj katjembang, kacembang
in Laos: reut jeum bang
in Malaysia: akar sulur kerang
in Thailand: som kung
in Tibetan: bi-dan, bi-tan-ka, byi dan ga, byi tam ka, byitangga, byi tan ga
in Vietnam: c[aa]y m[ux]n, d[aa]y ng[us]t, th[uf]n m[ux]n

Scientific Names:

• Antidesma grossularia Raeusch.
• Ardisia tenuiflora Blume
• Antidesma ribes (Burm.f.) Raeusch. 
• Calispermum scandens Lam. 
• Embelia burmanni Retz. 
• Embelia garciniifolia Wall. ex Ridl. 
• Embelia glandulifera Wight 
• Embelia indica J.F.Gmel. 
• Embelia paniculata Moon 
• Embelia ribes var. ribes   
• Ribesiodes ribes (Burm. f.) Kuntze
• Embelia ribes subsp. ribes 
• Embelia sumatrana Miq. 
• Samara ribes (Burm. f.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex Kurz

Medicinal Uses:

Fruits stomachic, nervine tonic, tonic, antifertility, acrid, astringent, alterative, anthelmintic, molluscicidal, for piles, leprosy, skin diseases, constipation, indigestion, colic, flatulence; a paste is locally applied against tapeworm, ringworm. Fry fruits decoction used in fevers, chest pain and skin diseases, and as mouth wash in decay of teeth. Dried powdered fruits anthelmintic, astringent, tonic, taken to kill worms in stomach, used in scorpion sting and snakebite. Seed powder in headache. A roots infusion to treat coughs, indigestion, flatulence, colic, stomachache and diarrhea. Powder made from dried bark of the root a remedy for toothache. The crushed fresh bark used to repel leeches, and as a fish poison; leaves and bark juice as fish poison.