Common Name:

General Information

Litsea elliptica is an evergreen tree that can grow from 10 - 44 metres tall. The bole can be around 20 - 80cm in diameter with short buttresses up to 100cm high[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a condiment, medicine and source of wood. The wood is also traded as 'medang' timber[].
Litsea elliptica has a wide range and is known from many protected areas. Although on a local level there is a decline in the area of occupancy and extent of occurrence, as well as a loss of quality of habitat, this is not considered to be sufficient to be a threat on a global scale. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia to New Guinea.

Habitat

An upper canopy tree in undisturbed mixed dipterocarp and sub-montane forests; usually on hillsides and ridges with sandy soils; at elevations up to 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	38.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The bark, wood, leaves and fruits are aromatic and reminiscent of the smell of a species of giant water bug (Lethocerus indicus), which is also used as a flavouring material in the 'Nam Prik, mentioned in 'Edible Uses'[].
Plants can flower all year round[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable side dish, and are used as a flavouring material in the Thai dish 'Nam Prik', a local spicy dip[].

Medicinal

This species is highly valued as a local medicinal plant[, ]. No more details.

Extracts of the leaves are used in the traditional native herbal medicine to treat conditions such as stomach ulcers, fever and headache[]. A significant antimutagenic activity has also been reported. In Thailand, it has been reported to reduce the incidence of gastric cancer[].

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from leaves has displayed the potential to be used as insecticide[].

The wood is locally used for house construction, and is used for making mortars and pestles[, ].
There are a number of tree species (including this one) from Peninsular Malaysia that are in the family Lauraceae and produce a useful timber that is either not distinct enough in itself, or is in insufficient supply, to warrant being traded individually. These various species have been lumped together under the trade name ‘medang’[].
We do not have a specific description of the wood from this species, but a general description of medang timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is very variable, from light-straw to red-brown and olive brown; the sapwood is ill-defined. The texture is moderately fine but even; the grain interlocked or wavy; the surface dull. The wood is not durable. It is easy to slightly difficult to resaw, and easy to moderately easy to cross-cut; easy to plane and the surface produced is smooth to moderately smooth. It is suitable for decorative work such as interior finishing, panelling, furniture and cabinet making. It is also suitable for plywood manufacture, whilst the heavier species are suitable for medium construction under cover[]

Propagation

Seed -

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