Mapania cuspidata

Mapania cuspidata is widely distributed in the Nicobar Islands, Thailand, throughout the Malesia region, Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides. This plant has value as an ornamental plant and a medicinal plant. Traditionally, it is widely used in medical systems in several countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia. This plant is commonly known as a medicine used after childbirth.

Siak-siak rimba (Malay), Malalubigan (Philippines).

M. cuspidata is usually found growing in lowland swamp forests to mountain forests, especially in riverbanks and streams on rocky or sandy soils up to an altitude of 900 m above sea level. This species is also found in moist and peat areas.

• Roots - short rhizomes or stolons, rhizome diameter up to 11 mm.
• Stems - short, flat.
• Leaves - 3-storey, rosette-shaped, glabrous, simple, dark green above and pale below, purplish-pink when young, linear, linear-oval to oblong, narrowing to pseudopetiole to 39 cm long at base, cuspidate at apex. Leaf margins flat to scab near apex, rough, 3 veined, young leaves pink to reddish on underside. Sheath is present at the base of the pseudopetiole.
• Flowers - unisexual, sessile, arranged in axils bracts along the axis (spicoid), 3 spicoid male lower flowers, with 1 stamen, female terminal flowers, with longitudinal style ending in 3 stigmatic branches, each spicoid with 6 bracts (so 2 ​​without  flower). Inflorescence bunches, located at the tip of the stem (terminal), ellipsoid to hemi-spherical spike up to 3 cm, on the lateral scape up to 29 cm;  spike with several involucral bracts.
• Fruits - pea-like, ovate breech to oblong, pale green to grayish-brown, smooth, with succulent exocarp and stony endocarp.

Propagated by seeds and suckers.

Ten groups of flavonoid compounds (5-deoxyisoflavones, isoflavones, chalcones, flavanones, anthocyanins, flavone glycosides, flavones, flavonols, glycosylflavones, and aurones).

• Leaves used as a remedy for fever.
• In Malaysia, used for fever; also, as tonic and antidote. Root decoction used for treatment after childbirth; leaves used to treat diarrhea.
• Used for dysentery.
• In Indonesia, used for treatment of heartache.
• In Sarawak, leaves and roots are burned, mixed with coconut oil, and used for treatment of of poisonous caterpillar stings.