Java olive (Sterculia foetida)

Kepuh or Java olive (Sterculia foetida) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae, tree with large habit, cylindrical trunk, growing up to 40 meters high, wide crown, many branches, tall buttress roots, grayish bark.

S. foetida has compound leaves, fingers, stalks 12.5-23 cm long and gathered at the ends of the twigs. The strands have 7-9 lobes, are oval in shape with a pointed tip and base and are green.







The flowers are compound in panicles near the tip of the twig, 10-15 cm long and green or purple in color. The fruit is a large capsule, oval, fat, 7.6-9 cm long, 5 cm wide, woody, thick, bright red and brown, gathered in a star-shaped arrangement. Each fruit contains 10-15 seeds, blackish in color, attached with yellow arils and 1.5-1.8 cm long.

This tree grows in the lowlands and the coast at an elevation of 0-400 meters, annual temperature of 18-32C, average rainfall of 1100-1800 mm/year, soil with deep, fertile, moist and well-drained soil with a pH of 6-7, 5 and full sun.

The sapwood is white, while the heartwood is striped, yellow and has a fine texture. Wood is used as a light construction material in houses including curtains, ceiling frames, risplang and cast boards. Wood is also used to make boats, coffins and furniture.

Sterculia foetida oil is proving comparable to sunflower, soybean and grapeseed oils for biofuel use. The seeds are roasted to eat or make chili sauce. The seeds contain 40% non-drying light yellow oil for bio-diesel, lamp oil, cooking oil and candles.

Leaves to treat fever, wash hair, relieve pain in the feet and hands that are sprained or broken bones. Bark for abortivum. The skin of the fruit is burned to ashes and used to solidify the dye.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Sterculioideae
Genus: Sterculia L. in Sp. Pl.: 1007 (1753)
Species: Sterculia foetida L. in Sp. Pl.: 1008 (1753)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Clompanus foetida (L.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 77 (1891)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Sterculia mexicana var. guianensis Sagot in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 6, 11: 153 (1881)
Sterculia polyphylla R.Br. in Pterocymbium: 227 (1844)

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Barooah, C. & Ahmed, I. (2014). Plant diversity of Assam. A checklist of Angiosperms and Gymnosperms: 1-599. Assam science technology and environment council, India.

Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.

Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Exell, A.W. (1973). Angiosperms of the islands of the gulf of Guinea (Fernando Po, Príncipe, S.Tomé, and Annobon). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Botany 4: 325-411.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.

Nasir, E. & Ali, S.I. (eds.) (1970-1995). Flora of West Pakistan 1-131.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Santisuk, T. & Larsen, K. (eds.) (2001). Flora of Thailand 7(3): 351-654. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

Shamso, E. & Hamdy, R. (2010). Melhania steudneri (Sterculiaceae) new record for Egypt, and a synopsis of the Sterculiaceae in Egypt. Nordic Journal of Botany 28: 174-181.

Turner, I.M. (1995 publ. 1997). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(2): 347-655.

Wu, Z., Raven, P.H. & Hong, D. (eds.) (2007). Flora of China 12: 1-534. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

VERNACULAR NAME

Bali: Kepuh, Kepah, Kekepahan
Batak: Halumpang
Bengali: জংলি বাদাম Jungli Badam
Bugis: Alumpang, Alupang, Kalupa
Burmese: ဂျာဗား သံလွင်သီး
English: Java Olive
Hindi: जंगली बादाम Jangli badam
Indonesian: Kepuh
Java: Kepuh, Kepoh, Jangkang
Kannada: Bhatala penari, Gotu, Paataala mara, Pinaari, Peenaari, Penaari, Peenari, Pathala mara, Bhuthalamara
Khmer: អូលីវជ្វា
Konkani: Nagin, Viroi, Kuvem ruk
Lao: ໝາກກອກຊວາ
Madura: Kalompang
Makassar: Bungoro, Kalumpang
Malayalam: Pinari, Pinar, Putiyunrtti, Malamparaththi, Poothimanathi, Poothiyunathi, Pottakkavalam, Pottakavalam, Kavalam
Maluku Utara: Kailupa furu, kailupa buru
Marathi: Goldaru, Jangalibadam, Punava
Melayu: Kabu-kabu, Kalupat, Lepong, Kelumpang jari
Nepali: जाभा जैतुन Jābhā jaituna
Nusa Tenggara Timur: Kepoh, Kelompang, Kapaka, Wuka, Wukak
Sanskrit: Vitkhadirah, Niruri, Putidaru
Sinhala: ජාවා ඔලිව් Jāvā oliv
Sunda: Kĕpoh, kolèangka
Tamil: பினாரி - குதிரைப்பிடுக்கு - மலைத்தேங்கை Pinari, Kutiraippitukku, Malaittengai
Telugu: Manjiponaku, Manciponaku, Adavibadam, Adavi badham, Gurrapubadamu
Thai: มะกอกชวา
Vietnam: Ô liu Java

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