Trees & Plants

Blinding tree

Thela

Excoecaria agallocha L.

Rare. Occurs in some of the northern islands. Used as a fish poison and as an adjunct or to arrow poison. The fresh sap of wood causes intolerable pain if it accidentally gets in to the eye. The juice from the plant is in used to treat ulcer and leprosy. A decoction using leaves

Details

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uses: Used as a fish poison and as an adjunct or to arrow poison. The fresh sap of wood causes intolerable pain if it accidentally gets in to the eye. The juice from the plant is in used to treat ulcer and leprosy. A decoction using leaves is remedy in epilepsy. in LAPANAJUS
family: Euphorbiaceae
synonym: Excoecaria affinis Endl., Excoecaria camettia Willd.
description: Trees to 15 m high. Leaves × simple, alternate; 3-13 1.5-5 cm, oblong- lanceolate, margin crenulate-serrulate or to entire, glossy above; lateral nerves 5-10 pairs, pinnate; petiole to 3 cm. Flowers in unisexual, pale green; male flowers in axillary spikes, 3.5-12.5 cm long, 2-3 together in an axil with a series of spirally arranged bracts; each bract subtending one male flower. Female flowers in axillary racemes, 4-8 cm long, 1-2 in each axil; tepals 3, lacinate, closely adpressed to the ovary; ovary superior, tricarpellary, ovules one in each locule, pendulous; styles 3, simple, spreading, recurved; stigma 3, glandular. × Fruit a capsule 4-5 8-10 mm, depressed, globose, crustaceous, 3-celled, black; pedicels 3-5 mm long; seeds 3, globose.
native range: Asia-Pacific region
distribution: Indo-Malaysia to Australia and Pacific islands
english names: Blinding tree
flowering fruiting: November – February
occurrence maldives: Rare. Occurs in some of the northern islands.