Agrostistachys borneensis Becc., For. Borneo (1902) 331

Synonyms
Agrostistachys coriacea Trimen
Agrostistachys intramarginalis Philcox
Agrostistachys latifolia (Hook.f.) Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl.
Agrostistachys leptostachya Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl.
Agrostistachys longifolia (Wight) Trimen
Agrostistachys longifolia var. latifolia Hook.f.
Agrostistachys longifolia var. leptostachya (Pax & K.Hoffm.) Whitmore
Agrostistachys meeboldii Pax & K.Hoffm. in Engl.
Sarcoclinium longifolia Wight

Description
Shrub up to 7 m high; up to 1.9 m; flowering twigs up to 1.5 cm thick, rather smooth to ribbed to rough. Outer bark green to brown to grey to black, smooth to narrowly fissured; inner bark yellowish to dark red to brown; sapwood cream to pale yellow to brown. Leaves: stipules ovate to triangular, 0.5-4 by 1-8 mm, late caducous to persistent, scars up to 1.5 cm below leaves, sometimes thick, margin entire, ciliate with trichomes, apex rounded to acute, glabrous to subsericeous abaxially, with trichomes at base adaxially, venation distinctly parallel; petiole 0-2 cm long; blade elliptic to obovate, 6-70 by 2-18 cm, index 2-5.7, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, base attenuate, sometimes obtuse to rounded, margin entire, apex rounded to cuspidate; veins scalariform, veinlets scalariform to reticulate. Inflorescences axillary and cauliflorous, single or up to 4 together, up to 35 cm long, glabrous to sericeous. Bracts overlapping each other and hiding rachis when in bud, ovate (to obovate), 1-4 by 1-4 mm, margin sometimes with trichomes, apex rounded to acuminate, outside sometimes covered with papillae, inside with glands that exude white latex, glabrous to subsericeous, venation usually distinctly parallel. Flowers single or up to 5 together; pedicel glabrous to sericeous; disc lobes orbicular to broadly ovate, glabrous. Staminate flowers 2-4 by 1.5-4 mm; pedicel 1-3 mm long; sepals, 1.5-3 by 1-2 mm, apex mucronate to acuminate, venation usually distinctly parallel; petals 5, 1-2.5 by 1-2.5 mm, glabrous, margin entire, apex irregular to obcordate; disc lobes 4-6, 0.3-1 mm in diam.; stamens 8-12, in two whorls, the outer whorl inserted between the disc lobes, second whorl sometimes tube-like around the pistillode, filaments free (first whorl) or shortly connate (second whorl), 2-3 mm long, connective sometimes covered with papillae; pistillode 2- or 3-partite, glabrous to subsericeous. Pistillate flowers 2-5 by 2-5 mm, pedicel 2-5 mm long; sericeous; sepals 5, lobes 2-3 by 1-2 mm, margin with trichomes, apex acute; petals 5, 1-2 by 1.5-2 mm, margin entire, apex irregular; disc lobes 5, 0.5-1 mm in diam., sometimes incompletely divided; ovary 1-3 by 1.5-4 mm, subsericeous to sericeous, stigmas sessile, 1-2.5 mm long, split in upper 0.5-1 mm, glabrous. Fruit 0.5-1 by 0.5-1 cm high. Seeds 4-6 by 3-5 mm. [from Blumea 46: 71--97 (2001)]

Ecology
Primary and secondary (logged) forests, wet evergreen forests, dipterocarp forests, swamp forests, kerangas forests, montane forests, mossy forests, along forest roads, ridges, streams, on gentle to steep slopes, on rock in dry exposed areas, common in undergrowth and abundant in open areas. Soil: red, yellow sandy or light brown clay, limestone, acid sand. Found from 50 to 1980 m elevation.

Uses
Cosmetic use as tooth paste to dye the teeth black: burned wood exudes a black latex, which is smeared on the teeth. Repeated treatments are needed after 3 days otherwise the colour disappears.

Distribution
South India, Sri Lanka, Peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines, and New Guinea.

Local names
Borneo: Sarawak: Gelimtum, malo, malau pucuk, malau puchok, maha bu/punuberu; Brunei: Julong-julong, malau puchok.
Papua New Guinea: Wagu.
Peninsular Malaysia: Perak: Jenjulong.