Common Name:

General Information

Fibraurea tinctoria is a large woody, entirely glabrous climbing shrub, producing stems up to 40 metres long and 5cm in diameter[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild as a local source of medicines and dyestuff. This species is one of many examples of a dye-producing plant which has completely lost its importance through the advent of chemical dyes. Although it was at one time widely used for dyeing, often being traded, its use nowadays is probably almost exclusively restricted to traditional medicine[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China, northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Found in both primary and secondary formations in dry evergreen forest; peat swamp forest; or in association with bamboo and shrubby vegetation; along river banks and in logged forest; at elevations up to 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	30.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the dry to moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 32°c, but can tolerate 10 - 37°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 500 - 1,200mm[].
Succeeds in full sun and in light shade[]. Succeeds in a wide range of fertile soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 8, tolerating 6 - 9[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the roots and stems is used to treat dysentery, diabetes, eye diseases and stomach conditions[].

The plant has diuretic, analgesic and sedative activity[].

The major alkaloid present in roots and stems is palmatine; other alkaloids found include jatrorrhizine, colombamine and magnoflorine[].

Other Uses

The stem yields a yellow dye used for dying matting made from rattan and colouring cloth[, ]. The yellow dye is sometimes mixed with indigo (Indigofera tinctoria) to prepare a green dye[].
The dye has been reported as being fairly permanent[].

Propagation

Seed -

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