This species is frequently confused with other related species, particularly Uncaria callophylla; Uncaria acida; and Uncaria elliptica[]. These species have been reported to have been incidentally used in gambier production[].

Common Name: Gambier

General Information

Gambier is a climbing or straggling shrub, with square young stems bearing horizontal branches with recurved hooks (which are actually modified peduncles of the inflorescences) that help the plant cling on to supports[].
Gambier is harvested from the wild for local use and trade, mainly as a medicine and source of tannins. It is cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Moluccas). Plants which are probably truly wild have been collected in Sumatra and Borneo[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia.

Habitat

Secondary forests at low elevations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	0.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland wet tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 200 metres, but has been successfully cultivated up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 25 - 32°c, but can tolerate 20 - 36°c[]. The plant can survive temperatures down to about 10°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,200 - 2,400mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 2,600mm[].
Gambier succeeds in full sun to light shade[]. It has no special soil requirements, but it is usually cultivated on soils with a rich humus layer, or containing much clay[]. Requires a well-drained soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 8[].
Planting distance is usually 2 x 3 metres or 3 x 3 metres. The seedlings are usually planted in the edge of a hole, and the hole is not filled with soil[].
No special practices are necessary except weeding during the first year. Fertilizers are usually not applied. Although gambier is a natural climber, no support is needed for cultivated plants when the crop is managed properly[].
Recently a plant from Sumatra with denser foliage, called 'Uncaria payakumbuh', has been mentioned as a gambier source. The catechin content of this plant is somewhat less than that of 'true' gambier[].

Edible Uses

The sap of cooked leaves and twigs is used for making syrup[].

Dried plant material (gambir, gambir-katechu) is used for aromatising betel chewings[].It is chewed with betel nut (Areca catechu), lime and the leaf of Piper betle[].

Medicinal

Gambier is used as an astringent and styptic[]. An infusion of the fresh leaves is given as a treatment against diarrhoea and dysentery[]. This infusion is also used as a gargle for sore throats and inflamed gums[].
It is applied externally in lotions for burns and in a paste for scurf[]. External application against sciatica and lumbago is reported from Borneo[].

The maximum yield of crude gambier is 6.5% of the leaf weight. When used alone in tanning, gambier produces a rather spongy leather. However, it is very suitable for both light and heavy leathers if mixed or blended with other tanning materials such as wattle (Acacia spp.) extract or myrobalans (Terminalia spp.). Gambier is also suitable for preserving fishing nets. The tannin has algicidal properties, as well as antibacterial and antifungal activity. Antiherpetic activity has also been reported. Several indole alkaloids, some unidentified, have been extracted from leaf materials. These may have a narcotic effect. Gambier is used for 'soga batik' dyeing, but the brownish colour only develops if a diazonium salt is added.

Agroforestry Uses:

Gambier can be intercropped as a cash crop in rubber and oil palm plantations[].

Other Uses

Used as a clearing agent for beer[], and as a remover of scale from boilers[].

The resinous substance extracted from the leaves and young branches of gambier is crystallized and traded in small cubes or blocks[]. This is a rich source of tannins and can be used for preserving ropes and nets, and as a dye in the traditional batik industry and for dyeing silk black[].
The leaves contain two main forms of tannin:- catechin, which is poorly soluble in cold water but readily soluble in hot water; and catechu-tannic acid, which is soluble in cold water[]. Catechu-tannic acid is not desirable in gambier used for chewing with betel and can be removed. Consequently gambier is manufactured in different ways; the final product is either suitable for tanning purposes or for betel chewing[].

Propagation

Seed - the very small and light seeds rapidly lose their viability and so should be sown as soon as they are ripe in a nursery seed-bed. To achieve a uniform dispersal, the seeds are often blown into seed-beds and, on slopes, the vertical walls of terraces can be used as the seed-beds[]. The seed takes about 2 weeks to germinate and can usually be transplanted into the field 2 - 7 months after germination[].
Cuttings.
Layering Vegetative methods of propagation usually result in an advanced first harvest. However, these plants are recorded to contain less tannin at harvest[].

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