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«Sumatra» - Organic Thespesia Seeds
3.90 €
Thespesia populnea, otherwise known as Portia Tree, Eden Apple, Pacific Rosewood, or Indian Tulip Tree, is a flowering species belonging in the Malvaceae family. It is a small tree or shrub reaching a height of about 10m and up to 60cm in trunk diameter.
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Thespesia «Sumatra»
Thespesia populnea, otherwise known as Portia Tree, Eden Apple, Pacific Rosewood, or Indian Tulip Tree, is a flowering species belonging in the Malvaceae family.
It is a small tree or shrub reaching a height of about 10 m and up to 60 cm in trunk diameter upon maturity. It is fast-growing and its bole is short and often crooked. The leaves are thin, bluish green, and broadly heart-shaped. The flowers are yellow, bell-shaped, and occur singly. Fruits are rounded capsules. The root is toxic.
Fully established plants are highly tolerant to drought, strong winds, and saline conditions. Such characteristics make this species suitable for coastal erosion control. Young leaves, flowers, and flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruits are preserved and eaten. Unripe fruits are eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.
Plant parts of Portia tree, particularly the bark, root, leaves, flowers, and fruits, are all used in traditional medicine against a wide range of conditions like pleurisy, cholera, colic, fevers, herpes, urinary tract problems, abdominal swellings, hair lice, swollen testicles, rheumatism, coughs, influenza, headaches, skin diseases, hemorrhoids, colds, etc.
The bark is a source of tannins. It also yields a strong fiber used for cordage, fishing lines, coffee bags, and for caulking boats. Seed oil can be used in lamps. The wood, fruits, flowers, and leaves all yield dye. Fruits, flowers, and bark also yield gums. The leaves are used as food wrapper. The wood is highly valued for light construction, flooring moulds, musical instruments, utensils, vehicle bodies, boat building, fuel, etc.