Know the herbs

Scientific name

Goniothalamus tapis Miq.

Family

Annonaceae

Local name

Semenanjung Malaysia: Kenerak, galai, mentua binasa Sarawak: Gertimang

Description

This plant is a small tree or shrub that can reach a height of up to 10 m. The leaves are oblong to elliptic-oblong in shape, up to 27 cm long, have a leathery texture, with a shortly acuminate apex, and feature 11–16 pairs of lateral veins. The young shoots can be glabrous or finely hairy, and have a petiole 5–7 mm long. The flowers grow in the leaf axils (axillary), either solitary or in pairs, are pendulous, and are sweet-scented. The calyces are ovate, green with purple highlights, and hairy on the outside, while the petals are ovate-lanceolate, pale green to creamy white with a length of 3–5 cm. The fruit is ellipsoid, smooth (glabrous), red to purple when ripe, and contains a single seed.

Usage

Regarding women's health and pregnancy, several Goniothalamus species are used in traditional Asian medicine for abortion, childbirth, and fever, where the roots of Goniothalamus tapis are specifically used as an abortifacient (inducing abortion) in the early stages of pregnancy. As for fever treatment, people in Java, Indonesia, use an infusion of the roots to treat typhoid fever.