Sterculia foetida L.

Kepuh (Sterculia foetida) is a giant tree growing up to 40 meters tall of the Malvaceae family, native to tropical Africa, distributed as far as Southeast Asia and Australia. Its massive trunk is used to make matchsticks, coffins, and boats, while its seeds produce lamp oil and batik wax. Kepuh leaves are traditionally believed to treat fever and ease bone fractures.

Kepuh is found in lowland and coastal areas at elevations of 0-400 m above sea level, with an annual temperature of 18-32°C, average rainfall of 1,100-1,800 mm/year, prefers soil with a deep solum, fertile, moist and well-drained with a pH of 6-7.5 with full sunlight.

• Root stilt roots and buttress roots.
• Leaves palmately compound, stalked and clustered at the twig tips. Leaflets number 7-9, oval-oblong, tip and base tapering.
• Flowers compound in panicles near the twig tip, green or pale purple, sepals divided into 5 like a corolla.
• Fruit a large follicle, plump oblong, thick-skinned, bright red, clustered in a star-shaped arrangement.
• Seeds 10-15 per fruit, blackish, attached with a yellow aril.

Propagated through fallen seeds in relatively wet or waterlogged soil conditions until small shoots form.

Seed flesh: oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, myristic acid, cyclopropene fatty acids (CPFA) such as 8,9 methylene-heptadec-8-enoic acid (malvalic acid) and sterculic acid (9,10-methylene-ocadec-9-enoic acid).

• Leaves: treats fever, hair wash, poultice to ease pain in sprained or fractured limbs.
• Bark: abortifacient.

Not yet available.

Halumpang (Batak), Koleangka (Sunda), Kepoh, Jangkang (Java), Jhangkang, Kekompang (Madura), Kepuh, Kepah, Kekepahan (Bali) Bungoro, Kalumpang (Makassar), Kailupa furu, Kailupa buru (North Maluku).