Common Name:

General Information

Kibatalia blancoi is an evergreen tree growing up to 20 metres tall. The bole is straight[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood, possibly also as a food.

Known Hazards

The bark and leaves are used as a fish poison[].
The leaves contain saponins. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[].

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Philippines

Habitat

Found on volcanic soils in mountainous areas[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

We have no specific information for this species, but the flowers of plants in this genus are often cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

A decoction of root or bark is used as an abortifacient[].

The leaves applied externally on the forehead are presumed to relieve headache[, ].

Other Uses

The wood is used for making wooden shoes[].
We have no more specific information for this species, but the wood of Kibatalia species is often used for medium-heavy construction under cover, and more often for small objects such as musical instruments, handicrafts and utensils[].

Propagation

Seed -

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