Some authorities have recently moved this species to Quassia indica (Gaertn.) Noot[].

Common Name:

General Information

Samadera indica is an evergreen shrub or tree growing up to 20 metres tall[]. The bole is up to 39cm in diameter[].
The tree is gathered from the wild to treat a range of medical conditions. It is also used locally as an insecticide.

Known Hazards

The bark is toxic with a bitter principle similar to quassin[].

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar, through the Indian Ocean to the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, through southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Habitat

Evergreen forests[]. Usually rather rare, but locally common, in tidal swamp forest or periodically inundated forest. In lowland mixed dipterocarp forest it is usually found at elevations below 150 metres[]

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is used in the treatment of fevers[].
The juice of the pounded bark is considered a cure for skin diseases[].

After maceration, or in decoction, the bark and wood are used as a febrifuge, tonic, stomachic and emmenagogue[, ].

A decoction of the leaves is taken to relieve cough[].
The leaves are bruised and then applied externally as a treatment for erysipelas[, ]. The macerated leaves, mixed with coconut oil, are used to kill head lice[].

The seeds in particular are of medicinal importance and are commonly applied as an emetic and purgative[]. They are used in the treatment of bilious fevers[].
The oil from the seeds is applied externally on rheumatic joints, and used as a liniment on bruises[, ].

All parts of the plant contain the glucoside samaderin and a bitter substance[].

Other Uses

A decoction of the leaves is used to kill termites[].
An infusion of the leaves is used as an insecticide[].

The macerated leaves, mixed with coconut oil, are applied to the hair for cleansing purposes[].

The seeds contain about 33% oil, but it is difficult to get a sufficient supply for commercial use[].

The pale yellow wood is light and soft[]. It is used for making 'parang' handles[]. The wood is used for making the handles of knives[].

Propagation

Seed -

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