This species has been wrongly identified as occurring in Peninsula Malaysia - all specimens previously referred to this species have been transferred to Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. Litsea pipericarpa is restricted to Sumatra[].

Common Name: Medang Serai

General Information

Litsea pipericarpa is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 18 metres tall[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a condiment, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Indonesia (Sumatra)

Habitat

Often found growing gregariously in forest clearings; at elevations up to 3,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A fast-growing species[].
The crushed parts of the plant (especially the bark) smell strongly of citronella or eucalyptus[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The fruits resemble peppercorns and are used similarly as a flavouring[]. The fruit is a 1-seeded, globose berry around 5mm in diameter, green but turning black at maturity[].

Medicinal

The fruits are used medicinally like cubebs (Piper cubeba) as a tonic, against indigestion, as antiseptic and diuretic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree has been suggested for reafforestation purposes and as a shade tree in tea plantations[].

Other Uses

All parts of the plant contain an essential oil consisting of citral, citronellal, cineole and geraniol[].
Water distillation of the leaves yielded 1.0% of a colourless oil with a spicy-piney odour. The oil is composed predominantly of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons with the major components comprising beta-caryophyllene (32.1%) and alpha-copaene (31.4%)[].
Water distillation of the wood yielded 0.4% of a colourless oil with a lemon-like odour. The oil was mainly made up of monoterpenes, which accounted for 89.9% of the oil. The most abundant compound, limonene, was present at a concentration of 55.4%[].

The seed and bark are used to make face powder[].

The aromatic wood can be used to make small objects[].

Propagation

Seed -

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