nuts are similar, albeit larger, and eaten both raw and cooked by local communities.
Three species are listed by PROSEA as species with a “major use”: Kemiri (Aleurites
moluccana), Finschia nuts (Finschia chloroxantha), and Ketapang (Terminalia
catappa, even though in the latter this “major use” is due to the use in tanning and
dyeing; see below). Berangan or braided chestnuts (Castanopsis inermis) are eaten
raw, cooked, roasted, or used in chocolates and pastries (Verheij and Coronel 1992).
Five plant species recorded in Indonesian PSFs are used for producing
tea/beverages. Keras tulang (Chloranthus erectus) is a small shrub or large woody
herb used for medicinal purposes, but also as a team/stimulant, and it is for that latter
use that PROSEA recognizes it as a species with “major use” (Van der Vossen and
Wessel 2000). The second species listed as a “major use” species is Poikilospermum
suaveolens, which is a non-parasitic epiphyte widely used as a stimulant. The
remaining three species (Diplospora malaccensis, Macrosolen cochinchinensis,
and Microcos tomentosa) are also used as stimulants.
14.3.2 Medicinal Plants
221 PSF plant species have been recorded to have medicinal uses, including some
with a wide range of medicinal uses; these were identified by Heyne (1950) and the
three volumes of PROSEA on medicinal plants (de Padua et al. 1999; Van
Valkenburg and Bunyapraphatsara 2001; Lemmens and Bunyapraphatsara 2003).
Plant families with the most medicinal species are Rubiaceae (17 species),
Euphorbiaceae (17 species), Apocynaceae (14 species), Annonaceae, Araceae,
Connaraceae, Cyperaceae (6 species, respectively), and Moraceae, Verbenaceae
(now included under Lamiaceae, 5 species, respectively). For the list, please refer
to Giesen (2013).
The most common ailments that are cured by these medicinal plants are those of
diarrhea, including dysentery and cholera, stomach complaints, colic (54 species);
wounds, skin infections, and sores (44 species); fevers including malaria (31 species); post-partum medicine (15 species); coughs (15 species); STDs including
syphilis and gonorrhea (14 species); worms (12 species); rheumatism (12 species);
mouth sores (11 species); headaches (7 species); and hair tonics (5 species). However, these plants also alleviate a very wide range of infirmities such as that incurred
by snakebite, warts, insect bites, burns, and are even used as aphrodisiacs. A variety
of Calophyllum teysmannii, var. inophylloide was identified in 1994 as having antiHIV properties and a promising new line of coumarins was developed for medical
purposes (Fuller et al. 1994). Two Aglaia species (Aglaia elliptica and Aglaia
silvestris) are used in local medicine to treat tumors (Kinghorn et al. 2009), while
extracts of aerial root of this mistletoe species (Dendrophthoe pentandra) show
tyrosinase inhibitory activity and are promising as an antimelanogenesis drug
(Arung et al. 2009).
Species with the greatest range of medicinal uses (each has at least three uses)
include Alstonia scholaris, Calophyllum inophyllum, Cassytha filiformis,
14 Tropical Peatland Restoration in Indonesia by Replanting with Useful Indigenous. . .
417
Three species are listed by PROSEA as species with a “major use”: Kemiri (Aleurites
moluccana), Finschia nuts (Finschia chloroxantha), and Ketapang (Terminalia
catappa, even though in the latter this “major use” is due to the use in tanning and
dyeing; see below). Berangan or braided chestnuts (Castanopsis inermis) are eaten
raw, cooked, roasted, or used in chocolates and pastries (Verheij and Coronel 1992).
Five plant species recorded in Indonesian PSFs are used for producing
tea/beverages. Keras tulang (Chloranthus erectus) is a small shrub or large woody
herb used for medicinal purposes, but also as a team/stimulant, and it is for that latter
use that PROSEA recognizes it as a species with “major use” (Van der Vossen and
Wessel 2000). The second species listed as a “major use” species is Poikilospermum
suaveolens, which is a non-parasitic epiphyte widely used as a stimulant. The
remaining three species (Diplospora malaccensis, Macrosolen cochinchinensis,
and Microcos tomentosa) are also used as stimulants.
14.3.2 Medicinal Plants
221 PSF plant species have been recorded to have medicinal uses, including some
with a wide range of medicinal uses; these were identified by Heyne (1950) and the
three volumes of PROSEA on medicinal plants (de Padua et al. 1999; Van
Valkenburg and Bunyapraphatsara 2001; Lemmens and Bunyapraphatsara 2003).
Plant families with the most medicinal species are Rubiaceae (17 species),
Euphorbiaceae (17 species), Apocynaceae (14 species), Annonaceae, Araceae,
Connaraceae, Cyperaceae (6 species, respectively), and Moraceae, Verbenaceae
(now included under Lamiaceae, 5 species, respectively). For the list, please refer
to Giesen (2013).
The most common ailments that are cured by these medicinal plants are those of
diarrhea, including dysentery and cholera, stomach complaints, colic (54 species);
wounds, skin infections, and sores (44 species); fevers including malaria (31 species); post-partum medicine (15 species); coughs (15 species); STDs including
syphilis and gonorrhea (14 species); worms (12 species); rheumatism (12 species);
mouth sores (11 species); headaches (7 species); and hair tonics (5 species). However, these plants also alleviate a very wide range of infirmities such as that incurred
by snakebite, warts, insect bites, burns, and are even used as aphrodisiacs. A variety
of Calophyllum teysmannii, var. inophylloide was identified in 1994 as having antiHIV properties and a promising new line of coumarins was developed for medical
purposes (Fuller et al. 1994). Two Aglaia species (Aglaia elliptica and Aglaia
silvestris) are used in local medicine to treat tumors (Kinghorn et al. 2009), while
extracts of aerial root of this mistletoe species (Dendrophthoe pentandra) show
tyrosinase inhibitory activity and are promising as an antimelanogenesis drug
(Arung et al. 2009).
Species with the greatest range of medicinal uses (each has at least three uses)
include Alstonia scholaris, Calophyllum inophyllum, Cassytha filiformis,
14 Tropical Peatland Restoration in Indonesia by Replanting with Useful Indigenous. . .
417