JAPALA

Small shrub or tree up to 12 m tall, evergreen; leaves alternate, membranous, ovate with broadly rounded, sometimes slightly decurrent base, acuminate, acute or blunt, very shallowly serrate, glabrous above, with few stellate hairs beneath, 7.5-17 cm long, 4-9.5 cm broad, metallic green to bronze or orange; petiole slender, about 4 cm long; stipules caducous, subulate, 1.5- 3.5 mm long; axis of inflorescence glabrous; flowers small, inconspicuous; male flowers stellately hairy with narrowly oblong petals and 15-20 stamens; female flowers apetalous; capsule scabrid with stellate hairs, triangular, 15-20 mm long, 10-15 mm broad, oblong or ellipsoid, 3-lobed; seeds 3 per fruit, oblong-ovoid, orange, about 12 mm long, C.S.I.R. reports that the oil contains 3.4% toxic resin. Of the acids, 37.0% is oleic, 19.0% linoleic, 1.5% arachidic, 0.3% stearic, 0.9% palmitic, 7.5% myristic, 0.6% acetic, 0.8% formic, with traces of lauric, tiglic, valeric, and butyric, plus some unidentified.
to New Guinea and Java, north into Indonesia and China. Wild throughout the Philippine Islands, where it is also cultivated to a limited extent; often becoming naturalized after cultivation. Grown in southern California and elsewhere as an ornamental and curious plant.