Monkey Jack

Overview

Monkey jack is native to the humid sub-Himalayan regions of India. Distributed to Borneo, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Thailand. The fruit is edible and has medicinal properties. Its hard wood is sold as lacuch, the same quality as teak. Sometimes it is also planted as an ornamental plant because it is shady.

Vernacular Names

Myankdok (Burmese), Monkey fruit (English), Badhal, Dephal, Dhau, Lakoocha, Lakuch (India), Green tampang (Singapore).

Agroecology

It grows in lowland hill forests, open countryside, and sometimes villages, up to an altitude of 100-1300 m. Grows best in areas of full light, deep permeable soil with a pH range of 5-6.5, and a temperature range of 22-32 °C.

Morphology

• Bark - dark brown; exfoliating in small round woody plate; inside reddish; softly fibrous with faint streaks of white latex; copious milkly latex.
• Leaves - oblong or elliptic-obovate, 4.7-11 in. (12-28 cm) long, 6-15 cm broad, scabrid, pubescent beneath, coriaceous, margin entire, apex acute or obtuse, lateral veins 6-14 on either side of midvein, petiole 0.4-1.4 in. (1-3.5 cm) long, stipules lanceolate, 0.4-0.6 in. (10-15 mm) long, hairy.
• Flowers - male flowers are small, elongated, orange-yellow and taste like tamarind; female flowers are reddish, borne on shorter and thicker peduncles, occur terminally and in leaf axils of new growth; both are borne on the same tree.
• Fruit - a syncarp, nearly round or irregular, 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) wide, velvety, dull-yellow tinged with pink, sweet sour pulp.
• Seeds - irregular in shape, varies in size, containing white sticky latex, and seed coat is white and thin.

Cultivation

Propagated by seeds, root cuttings and air layering. Seeds germinate best at 24-27 °C. The seeds germinate quite quickly. Seedlings are planted when they are about 20 - 25 cm high.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, tannins and steroids.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• The sap and juice of the bark are applied externally for boils, pimples, cuts and wounds.
• The root is astringent and is also used as a laxative.
• Macerated bark is used as a poultice to treat skin diseases.
• The bark is used to treat headaches and wound.