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Family Gentianaceae
Balat-buwaya
Kabal
Utania volubilis
(Wall.) Sugumaran
FOREST COFFEE PLANT

Scientific names Common names
Fagraea volubilis Wall.            Balat buwaya (Tag.)
Utania volubilis (Wall.) Sugumaran         Kabal (Tag.)
Accepted infraspecifics (2) Kuliba-o (Sorsogon)
Utania volubilis var. microcalyx (Wong & Sugau) W., S., & Sugau Tarong-tarong (Tag.)
Fagraea cordifolia Blume            False coffee tree (Engl.)
Fagraea gracilis Cammerl.            Foreest coffee plant (Engl.)
Fagraea ligustrina Blume             
Fagraea volubilis var. microcalyx K.M.Wong & Sugau             
Utania volubilis var. volubilis  
Fagraea appendiculata Blume             
Fagraea coarctata Blume             
Fagraea grandifolia Merr.        
Fagraea latifolia Miq.             
Fagraea morindifolia (Reinw.) Blume             
Fagraea pauciflora (King & Gamble) Ridl.             
Fagraea racemosa var. pauciflora King & Gamble           
Fagraea rodatzii K.Schum. & Lauterb.             
Fagraea scholaris Blanco             
Fagraea subreticulata Blume             
Kentia morindifolia (Reinw.) Steud.             
Kuhlia morindifolia Reinw.         
Utania morindifolia (Reinw.) G.Don             
Utania volubilis is an accepted species. KEW: Plants of the World Online
Note: There is a confusing sharing of scientific names and vernacular names by Utania racemosa and U. volubilis. A few compilations list them as synonyms, many more list them as separate species. Kabal and 'False coffee tree' as common names are applied to both.
Note: Some compilations list Utania volubilis and Fagraea racemosa as synonyms; POWO lists them as separate species. POWO lsits Fagraea racemosa as a synonym of Utania racemosa.
Link: Kabal

Other vernacular names
GERMAN: Salakpalme.
INDONESIAN: Salak gantung.
MALAY: Salak, Todopon puok, Kopi hutan, Sepuleh.
SUOMI: Salaki.

Gen info
- Utania is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family, Gentianaceae, the tribe Potalieae, and subtribe Potaliinae. It is a small genus with 12 species. (4)
- Etymology: The specific epithet volubilis derives from Latin, meaning 'twining', is somewhat misapplied
because the species has the habit of an erect shrub or tree. Wallich assumed a climbing habit for the species probably because the long infructescence in Jack's  Sumatran (Bencoolen) specimen resembles the pendulous blooms common in garden vines. (3)

Botany
Small tree, usually 2-4 meters, occasionally 8 m tall; 4 m (occasionally to 8 m) tall; trunk to c. 6 cm diam.; bark smooth to slightly fissured, grey-brown to dark brown. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate; (8.5–)15–24(–26) cm long, (3.8–)6–8(–10.6) cm wide; base cuneate rounded; apex acuminate-short caudate; margin flat; thin coriaceous; glabrous on both surfaces; midrib prominent below, sunken above; secondary veins 5–7 pairs, upper side faint, lower side prominent; tertiary veins faint; petioles 1–1.8(–2.2) cm long, (1.5–)2–3 mm diam. Inflorescence terminal, a many-flowered panicle, (3–)10–16(–22.8) cm long; peduncle (2–)3–5.5(–6.8) cm long, 1.5–2 mm diam.; rachis in the distal half of the flower-bearing part of the inflorescence not conspicuously thicker than the proximal part and the peduncle, clearly visible; branch tiers well-spaced, (1.3–)2–2.8(–3.8) cm apart, the basal 1–2 branch tiers most branched, typically to 2–(3) orders, more distal tiers hardly so. Flower pedicel 2–4(–5) mm long, 1.5–2 mm diam.; calyx (from the base to the lobe apices) 4–6 mm long, glabrous, calyx cup 4–6(–7) mm diam., calyx lobes spreading out from the base of the corolla tube, 3–4 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, margins glabrous; corolla broadly infundibular (the mouth more than 3–4 times the diam. of the lower narrowed part of the tube); cream to creamy-yellow; lower subcylindrical part of the corolla tube 7–10 mm long, 3.5–4 mm diam., upper flared part of the tube slightly inflated, 8–10(–15) mm long, 12–14(–16) mm diam. at the top; corolla lobes broad-obovate to suborbicular, 6–7(–10) mm long, 5–7(–8) mm wide; stamens inserted at the upper portion of the lower narrowed tubular part of the corolla tube or the lowermost portion of the upper flared part of the corolla tube; filaments 11–13 mm long, not or slightly protruding to 3 mm from the corolla mouth; anthers 1.8–2 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, each theca somewhat ellipsoid; style 17–20 mm long, not to slightly protruding to 2 mm from the corolla mouth in the open flower; stigma shallowly 2-lobed, the lobes broadly suborbicular and recurving when receptive (sometimes resembling a somewhat peltate structure 1–1.2 mm diam.). Infructescence peduncle 4–6 cm long, 1.5–2 mm diam.; rachis in the distal half of the fruit-bearing part of the infructescence not conspicuously thicker than the proximal part and the peduncle, 10 Pl. Ecol. Evol. 14x (x), 201x Proofs clearly visible. Fruit apex beaked; smooth; when mature to 11–14 mm long, 9–11 mm diam.; calyx lobes spread out and do not clasp the base in dried materials. Seeds usually slightly elongated; 1–1.2 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam. (5)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1)
- In lowland forests, including lowland forest and forest edges. (2)
-
Also native to Andaman Is., Borneo, Jawa, Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Northern Territory, Queensland, Solomon Is., Sulawesi, Sumatera. (1)
- Globally, probably vulnerable to extinction due to reduction of habitat. (5)

Constituents
- No studies found.

Properties
- Flowers emit a delicate sweet scent.

Parts used
- Flowers, leaves, bark, roots.

Uses

Edibility
- No report found on edibility.
- Bats eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, a mix of flowers, leaves, barks, and roots used as antidote for snake bites. (4)

Studies
No studies found:

Availability
Wild-crafted.

July 2024

                                                 PHOTOS / ILLUSTRATIONS
IMAGE SOURCE: Gentianaceae : Utania volubilis / Flowering twig / Copyright © 2013 by Alma P Gamil (contact: pieter.pelser@canterbury.ac.nz) [ref. DOL75181] / Non-Commercial Use / Image modified / Click on image or link to go to source page / Phytoimages.siu.edu
OTHER IMAGE SOURCE: Gentianaceae : Utania volubilis / Kuliba-o / Inflorescence / Copyright © 2013 by Alma P Gamil (contact: pieter.pelser@canterbury.ac.nz) [ref. DOL75195] / Non-Commercial Use / Image modified / Click on image or link to go to source page / Phytoimages.siu.edu
OTHER IMAGE SOURCE: Gentianaceae : Utania volubilis / Infructescence / Copyright © 2014 by Greg Rule (contact: pieter.pelser@canterbury.ac.nz) [ref. DOL80520] / Non-Commercial Use / Image modified / Click on image or link to go to source page / Phytoimages.siu.edu

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Utania volubilis / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)

Gentianaceae / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(3)
Gentianaceae / K M Wong and M Sugumaran / Flora of Singapore, 2019; Vol 13: pp 359-390
(4)
Utania / Wikipedia
(5)
Gentianaceae / K M Wong, M Sugumaran / Flora of Singapore, 2019; Vol 13: pp 359-390

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)

PHOTOS / ILLUSTRATIONS
                                                            List of Understudied Philippine Medicinal Plants
                                          New plant names needed
The compilation now numbers over 1,300 medicinal plants. While I believe there are hundreds more that can be added to the collection, they are becoming more difficult to find. If you have a plant to suggest for inclusion, native or introduced, please email the info: scientific name (most helpful), local plant name (if known), any known folkloric medicinal use, and, if possible, a photo. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

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