Wongai plum

Overview

Grows naturally in some areas in Indonesia such as Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Pulau Weh, and Nusa Tenggara. This species grows at 300 m asl altitude.

Vernacular Names

Sawai (Malaysia), Lamut-sida (Thailand), Viết (Vietnamese), Sner (Papua New Guinea, Australia).

Agroecology

Usually found in coastal regions with a comparatively dry climate, often at banks of small seasonal streams and on coral beaches, in drier areas and below elevations of 500 m. A plant of the lowland tropics, also succeeding in subtropical areas. Prefers sandy loam soils but tolerates a wide range of soils.

Morphology

• Stems - 25 m tall, often with gnarled and low-branched bole, sometimes columnar, up to 100 cm in diameter.
• Leaves - clustered at apex of twigs, silky white velvety beneath.
• Flowers - ovoid, pedicels not incrassate, curved and long, calyx up to 7 mm long, ovary with a distinct glabrous disk.
• Fruits - ovoid or obovoid, up to 3.7 cm long.
• Seeds - ovoid or obovoid, up to 1.9 cm long, 1.1 cm long, 

Cultivation

• By seeds - clean, processed seed do not have dormancy and require no pre-treatment. The seed is best sown in a shady position, either in individual containers or a nursery seedbed.
• By nodal cuttings - treated with rooting hormone and planted in sand will usually start rooting after 8-10 weeks.

Chemical Constituents

• Bark: phenolic, triterpenes, flavonoid.
• Leaves: tannin, flavonoids.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Strengthen cardiovascular health and minimizing risk of coronary heart disease.
• Reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. 
• One of the regulators of hormonal balance for reproductive health.
• Ensuring the proper functioning of the brain and supporting nerve health.
• Reducing the risk of osteoporosis (bone loss) and supports and promotes bone growth.
• Helps the kidneys work in filtering food waste and maintaining acid- base balance (ph) in the body.
• Acts as an antioxidant and counteract various free radicals which can cause oxidative damage in the body.
• Restores system health digestion and reducing the risk of asthma.
• Preventing the occurrence of cancer and overcoming and minimizing the risk of developing diabetes. 
• Leaves are used as poultice for tumors.
• Decoction of the leaves is used to treat sore mouth.
• 3 drops of sap of young leaves mixed with hot water are drank to prevent diarrhea.
• The young fruit is pureed and mixed with salt to taste is drank twice a day to treat dysentery.