ALIM
MELANOLEPIS MULTIGLANDULOSA (Reinw.) Reichb.f. and Zoll.
Croton multiglandulosa Reinw.
Rottlera multiglandulosa Blume
Mallotus moluccanus Muell.-Arg.
Adelia monoica Blanco
Melanolepsis moluccana Pax. & Hoffm.
Mallotus calcosus Muell.-Arg.
Local names: Aem (Ting.); ahem (Iv.); alem (Ilk.); alim (Tag., P. Bis.); alum (Bik., Tagb., P. Bis., Sul., Mag.); arum (P. Bis.); aling (Bik.); ayum-ayum (Sbl.); girangan (Tagb.); pakalkal (Tag.).
Alim is very common in thickets and second-growth forests at low and medium altitudes throughout the Philippines. It also occurs in Indo-China to Formosa, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, and the Marianne Islands.
This plant is a shrub or small tree 4 to 10 meters in height, often having a velvety appearance because of numerous, stellate hairs. The leaves are large, orbicular-ovate, 10 to 25 centimeters long, very broad and heart-shaped at the base, pointed at the tip, and often deeply three- to five-lobed, with coarsely toothed margins. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit (capsule) is about 7 millimeters each way, is smooth and consists of 2 or 3 parts.
According to Guerrero, the bark and leaves, when slightly heated and applied to the skin, are used as a sudorific.
Burkill says that in Malaya it is used as a poultice for scurf. Heyne states that in decoction it is used as a vermifuge.
Source: BPI