Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Qjurious
Type:
Info
Chapter:
3-655.56.17
Eurycoma longifolia
Malaysian: Tongkat ali; bedara pahit; Pasak bumi; Malaysian ginseng.
Region: Indochina, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Sumatra, Philippines.
Habitat: understorey of lowland forests; survives on a variety of soils; prefers acidic, well-drained soil.
Content: eurycomanone; protein; polysaccharide, glycosaponin; quassinoides, eurycomanol.
Culture: in Malaysia Eurycoma longifolia is banned from export, listed as one of the priority medicinal species for conservation, harvesting of wild trees is restricted.
Use: root in folk medicine, as supplements, food and drink additives, improving sexual health, libido, sexual performance, satisfaction, sperm volume and sperm motility, energy and stamina booster, physical performance, blood circulation, fat reduction.
Botany
Medium-sized slender shrub; to 10 m in height.
Stem: often unbranched.
Leaves: reddish brown petioles; compound, even pinnate, 1 meter long, of 30 to 40 leaflets; leaflets lanceolate to obovate-lanceolate, 15 to 20 cm long, 2 to 6 cm wide, paler on the ventral side.
Inflorescense: axillary, large brownish red panicle; very pubescent; with very fine, soft, granular trichomes.
Flowers: dioecious; petals small, very fine pubescent.
Fruit: drupe hard, ovoid; yellowish brown when young, brownish red when ripe.