ຜັກຕິ້ວສົ້ມ / Phak Tew Som

Use
Food
Income
Medicine
Scientific Name / Family
Cratoxylum formosum (Jack) Dyer./ GUTTIFERAE (HYPERICACAEA).
Synonyms
Cratoxylum formosum (Jacq.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Dyer
Cratoxylum formosum subsp. formosum
Cratoxylum formosum subsp. pruniflorum (Kurz) Gogelein
Other Names
ໄທ: ຕິ້ວຂາວ, ຕິ້ວສົ້ມ, ຕິ້ວຫອມ, ຕິ້ວຫີນ, ຕິ້ວລວດ, ຕິ້ວຊ້າງ, ຕິ້ວແດງ, ຕິ້ວຫຼວງ, ຕິ້ວກົ້ນເຕົາ, ກິຕິ້ວ
ກຳປູເຈຍ: ສີງເວຈົບ, ມູໂຕ
ວຽດນາມ: ກຸຍຈົງຊາວ, ເນັກກຣິເຈັບ, ຣ່າເນັງ
ຈີນ: 越南黄牛木 [yue nan huang niu mu]
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Botanical Description

It is a medium to large-sized tree up to 45 m tall, but in Singapore, it is 10 m or shorter. Its bark is grey and scaly. The plant is easy to spot when its crown is covered with light pink flowers amidst the new foliage. Its opposite, long-stalked leaves have fleshy to papery leaf blades that are usually narrowly to broadly oval, and 3.5–18 by 1–7.6 cm. Its new leaves have reddish-pink leaf blades that mature to green above and greenish below. ts faintly fragrant flowers are 1.3–2.5 cm wide, with light pink petals. They are found in clusters of 1–6, in axils of fallen leaves or on bare twigs.

Description of Use

Food: Young shoots - raw: Eaten as a raw vegetable

Medicinal: 

  • The bark is used as a treatment for diarrhoea in domestic animals
  • The bark and leaves, pounded and mixed with coconut milk, are applied topically as a treatment for skin troubles
  • The resinous exudate from the base of the trunk is used as a remedy for scabies and leg wounds

Other Uses:

  • A brown dye is obtained from the bark
  • A golden-yellow resin that turns red and finally black exudes from the base of the trunk, It is used medicinally
  • The reddish wood is fine-grained, very hard, flexible and durable. It is used for making woodcuts, interior construction etc
  • The wood is used as a source of fuel and is made into charcoal.

 

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