Characteristics of Katilayu Tree (Lepisanthes rubiginosa) in the Wild

Katilayu (Lepisanthes rubiginosa) is a species of tropical tree from the genus Lepisanthes which has a distribution covering Indochina, Malesia, and northwest Australia.

Scientific studies on this tree in Indonesia are still very limited, both in terms of distribution, structure, and properties of the wood, wood chemistry, and its herbal function.

Etymologically, the nickname rubiginosum is taken from the word “rubiginosa” which means red-brown like the color of the fruit.

Some synonymous names used in scientific journals to refer to this tree include:

• Erioglossum edule
• Erioglossum rubiginosum
• Lepisanthes stilaginea
• Lepisanthes stilaginea
• Lepisanthes edulis
• Lepisanthes rubiginosus
• Lepisanthes pinnatus
• Lepisanthes longifolius
• Lepisanthes fraxinifolius
• Lepisanthes edulis
• Lepisanthes alternifolius
• Lepisanthes cupanioides
• Lepisanthes hirta
• Lepisanthes balansaeana
• Lepisanthes rubiginosum
• Lepisanthes rubiginosum villosum
• Lepisanthes rubiginosum
• Lepisanthes edule

In general, people in Java call the Lepisanthes rubiginosa species Katilayu or Klayu, Kilalayu by Sundanese people, Kalayo in the Philippines, Mertajam in Malaysia, and several other names in various regions.

 

 

 

Characteristics of Katilayu Leaf

The leaves are compound, 15–50 cm long, consist of 3-6 pairs of leaflets, and often have pseudoterminal leaflets. The leaves are elliptical to lanceolate, 6.5-18 cm long and 3.5-8.5 cm wide. Leaves are greenish-gray above and greenish-yellow below with 8-12 secondary veins. The tip of the leaf is blunt to sharp while the base of the leaf is rounded to broadly pointed. Petiole 7.5-12 cm long. Brown hairs are found on the upper and lower sides of the leaves, especially on the midrib and veins and petioles, giving it a velvety texture.
 

Characteristics of Katilayu Flower

The inflorescence is once branched (racemose), about 25-35 cm long, and has a sweet aroma. The flowers are white to yellow-white and sparsely hairy on the sepals, petals, stalks, and ovaries. Each flower consists of 5 slightly concave sepals, 4-5 petals, and white flat filaments, where male flowers have slightly longer filaments than female flowers. The ovaries have 3 lobes, 0.12-0.18 cm long and 0.2-0.22 cm wide.
 

Characteristics of Katilayu Fruit

Katilayu fruit is shaped like 1 to 3 lobes, 0.8-1.3 cm long and 0.7-0.8 cm wide with a bulge in the middle of each lobe (carination). The fruit changes color from dark purple to black when ripe. The seeds are oval-ellipsoidal 0.9-1.1 cm long and 0.4 cm wide.

Mature katilayu trees bear fruit at the beginning of the rainy season. Fruit can retain its color and shape for years if stored in the freezer. The fruit seeds cannot be stored for long in normal air conditions, because they will rot.
 

Characteristics of the Katilayu Tree

Katilayu trees can grow as shrubs or upright trees 4-15 meters high and usually grow in secondary rainforests along river banks up to a height of 500 m above sea level. It prefers well-drained soil but can tolerate nutrient-deficient soil and short periods of waterlogging.

Katilayu trees have sympodial, grooved trunks, brown, grayish to black. This tree has supporting roots.
 

Benefits of Katilayu Tree

Katilyu has herbal benefits, including as an antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and others.

The leaves are used as a poultice to treat itching or processed into a potion that can be drunk to cure fever.