Know the herbs
Scientific name
Elateriospermum tapos BlumeFamily
EuphorbiaceaeLocal name
Perah, dungku, kelampaiDescription
This plant is a small to medium-sized tree that can reach a height of up to 27 m. Its bark is pale brown to gray, and is smooth and scaly with small scales that detach easily. The inner bark is fibrous, firm, and secretes a stringy white latex at the cambium layer. The leaves of this tree are drooping, with bright red young leaves that are oblong in shape with rounded bases and apices, and a narrow tapered tip 5 mm long. The leaves have a thinly leathery texture, are smooth (glabrous), with secondary veins at right angles to the main vein, and a petiole 5 cm long. The flower and fruit sections show a dense, cream-colored inflorescence at the tips of the twigs, with yellow-cream flowers that have a strong musty odor. The fruit is oblong, measuring 5–6.3 cm long, dull brown with pink highlights, pendulous, and contains oblong-shaped seeds 4 cm long.
Usage
In terms of food and nutrition, perah seeds are crushed with a little water and buried in a bag to ferment before being eaten by some indigenous communities. Perah leaves and fruits are also consumed as food by locals in Sarawak, but the fruits and seeds must be consumed with caution because eating too much at one time can cause dizziness or headaches. For wound and skin treatment, the sticky white latex from the bark, leaves, and fruit stalks is used by locals in Sumatra and Sarawak to treat and protect wounds and cracked soles.