Streblus asper

Streblus asper

, Sometimes called Streblus asper Khoi - tree, is a flowering plant in the family of the mulberry family ( Moraceae ). It is native to arid regions in Thailand, India, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Description

Streblus asper grows as a medium-sized tree or shrub. The dark gray bark is rough. The bark is covered with short stiff and initially has conspicuous lenticels.

The alternate and arranged in two rows on the branches leaves are sessile or short-stalked. The leathery, rough leaf blades are elliptic - obovate to elliptic with a length of 2.5 to 6 inches and a width of 2 to 3.5 inches blunt to more or less heart-shaped Spreitenbasis and obtuse to short tapered at the top. The leaf margin is notched smooth or irregular. Four to seven side nerves on both sides of the central nerve. The small stipules fall off early.

In China, the flowering period of February to April is sufficient. Streblus asper is monoecious ( monoecious ) or dioecious ( dioecious ) getrenntgeschlechtig. The male flowers are spherical and have a greenish- yellow color. The female flowers are green, however.

In China, the fruits ripen from May to June.

Use

Using Paper

Streblus asper was used in paper making in Thailand for 700 years as a raw material for the so-called Khoi paper. Virtually all of the ancient Thai documents that still exist were written on Khoi paper.

The paper is durable even in the locally high humidity. It is not flammable and resistant to yellowing and insect infestation. Today, however, other fiber sources can be used to make paper. The fibers of Streblus asper are today primarily used by craftsmen who produce paper using traditional techniques. In Vietnam, the coarse- textured leaves are used as a natural sand paper to traditional woodworking.

Use in medicine

Various plant parts are used in medicine to treat various ailments such as filariasis, leprosy, toothache, diarrhea, and cancer. It was up in the middle of the 20th century used as an oral hygiene product, because the material was cheap and it came cheap and practical plastic toothbrushes that were spread all over the world. The plant also provides still the main component of popular brands of herbal and toothpaste in Thailand dar.

Studies were performed to their antibacterial activity to various microorganisms. It has been shown that an extract from Streblus asper leaves possesses a selective antibacterial activity against streptococci.

The called by the locals Khoi - Wood smoked throughout Southeast Asia along with cannabis to reduce the irritation of the neck by the cannabis smoke.

Swell

• Zhengyi Wu, Zhe - Kun Zhou & Michael G. Gilbert: Moraceae: Streblus asper, S. 28 - the same text online as well as printed work, in: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China, Volume 5 - Ulmaceae through Basellaceae, Science Press & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing & St. Louis, 2003, ISBN 1-930723-27- X. ( Description section )