Bandicoot berry (Leea indica)

Girang or bandicoot berry (Leea indica) is a plant species in Vitaceae, an upright shrub to a small tree, often with several trunks, growing 2-10 meters and sometimes up to 16 meters with a trunk diameter of about 19 cm, single root light brown and rigid.

L. indica has woody stems, branched, cylindrical in shape, vines and green when young. Compound leaves, minor lanceolate leaves, short stalks, serrated edges, pointed tip, rounded base, 6-25 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, pinnate veins, hairy and green. Leaf marks are clearly visible.





Compound flowers, forming panicles and umbrella-shaped in the leaf axils. Star-shaped petals, 2-5 cm long and whitish yellow. Torn-shaped crown. The anthers are white.

The fruit is round, 12 mm in diameter, when young it is green and when it is old it is purple-black. The seeds are small, triangular in shape and yellowish white in color.

It grows in primary rainforest, mountain, secondary rainforest, monsoon forest, coastal forest, mixed forest, teak forest, occasionally found in scrub, freshwater swamp forest and grasslands. Spread in the lowlands to an elevation of 1700 meters. Grows well in full or partial sun, preferring moist, fertile and well-drained soil.

Leaves contain flavonoids, steroids, saponins and polyphenols. Fruit contains flavonoids. Bark contains alkaloids, flavonoids and steroids. The roots contain flavonoids, steroids, saponins and tannins. The seeds contain saponins, flavonoids and polyphenols.

The root is useful as an antifungal drug, malaria, and stomach ache. The leaves are pounded until smooth and rubbed in places that are allergic or itchy. The leaves are pounded until smooth, then paste on the left and right temples to treat headaches. Ethanol extract has been shown to selectively inhibit herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.001-0.1 mg/ml.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Vitales
Family: Vitaceae
Genus: Leea D.Royen in C.Linnaeus, Mant. Pl.: 17, 124 (1767)
Species: Leea indica (Burm.f.) Merr. in Philipp. J. Sci. 14: 245 (1919)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Staphylea indica Burm.f. in Fl. Indica: 75 (1768)
Aquilicia sambucina L. in Mant. Pl. 2: 211 (1771), nom. illeg. superfl.
Leea sambucina Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 1: 1177 (1798), nom. illeg. superfl.

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Aquilicia ottilis Gaertn. in Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 275 (1788)
Leea ottilis DC. in Prodr. 1: 636 (1824)
Leea sambucina var. occidentalis C.B.Clarke in J. Bot. 19: 140 (1881)
Otillis zeylanica Gaertn. in Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: t. 57, f. 7 (1788)

PUBLICATIONS

Ananda Rao, T. & Ellis, J.L. (1995). Flora of Lakshadweep islands off the Malabar coast, peninsular India, with emphasis on phytogeographical distribution of plants. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 19: 235-250.

Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Barooah, C. & Ahmed, I. (2014). Plant diversity of Assam. A checklist of Angiosperms and Gymnosperms: 1-599. Assam science technology and environment council, India.

Dassanayake (ed.) (1991). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 7: 1-439. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.

Dy Phon, P. (2000). Dictionnaire des plantes utilisées au Cambodge: 1-915. Chez l'auteur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (2001). Flora of Bhutan 2: 1-1675. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Hancock, I.R. & Henderson, C.P. (1988). Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin Dodo Creek Research Station 7: 1-203.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Pandey, R.P. & Dilwakar, P.G. (2008). An integrated check-list flora of Andaman and Nicobar islands, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 32: 403-500.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.

Santisuk, T. & Larsen, K. (eds.) (2010). Flora of Thailand 10(2): 141-198. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

Smith, A.C. (1985). Flora Vitiensis Nova. A new flora for Fiji (Spermatophytes only) 3: 1-758. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai.

Stevens, W.D., Ulloa U., C., Pool, A. & Montiel, O.M. (2001). Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: i-xlii, 1-2666. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Tagane, S. & al. (2017). Bokor National Park. A picture guide of forest trees in Cambodia 4: 1-774. Center for Asian Conservation Ecology, Kyushu University, Japan.

Tanaka, N. & al. (2020). Vascular plants collected from Eastern Provinces, the Solomon islands. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Series B (Botany) 46: 145-175.

Turner, I.M. (1995). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(1): 1-346.

Van Steenis, C.G.G.J. (ed.) (1971-1976). Flora Malesiana 7: 1-876. Noordhoff-Kolff N.V., Djakarta.

Wiriadinata, H., Girmansyah, D., Hunter, J.M., Hoover, W.S. & Kartawinata, K. (2013). Floristic study of West Sumbawa, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 13: 391-404.

Wu, Z., Raven, P.H. & Hong, D. (eds.) (2007). Flora of China 12: 1-534. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

VERNACULAR NAME

Assamese: Ahina
Bengali: কুরকুর Kurkur
Chinese (simplified): 火筒树
Chinese (traditional): 印度火筒樹 - 火筒樹
English: Bandicoot Berry
Finnish: Punaleea
Hindi: कुकुर जिह्वा - कुरकुरझिवा Kukur jihwa, Kurkurjhiwa
Indonesian: Girang
Japanese: インドオオウドノキ
Kannada: Andilu, Tannunuka, Gadhapatri, Gadapatri, Nedili, Andilu, Karote
Malayalam: Nakku, Chorianthali, Erattayani, Kudanjazhuku, Maniperandi, Njakku, Nyeru
Manipuri: Koknal
Marathi: Karkani
Mizo: Kawlkar
Nepali: कुकुर जिह्वा Kukura jihvā
Oria: Kaladchana
Palauan: sengall
Russian: Леея индийская
Sanskrit: Chatri, Jeera vali
Sinhala: නලාව Nalāva
Spanish: Baya bandicoot
Tamil: நலவா - ஒட்டன்னாலம் - நெய்க்கி - ஒட்டனாலி - பொலவக்கொடி Nalava, Ottannalam, Neykki, Ottanali, Polavakkodi
Telugu: Amkador, Ankadosa
Thai: กะตังใบ

Aryo Bandoro
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