Bastard guelder (Premna serratifolia, Mant. Pl. 2: 253 (1771))

Family: Lamiaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Mant. Pl. 2: 253 (1771)

Year: 1771

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Premna

Vegetable: False

Observations: E. Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to Pacific

Description

Bastard guelder, scientifically known as Premna serratifolia, is a fascinating and versatile plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. With a widespread presence across various regions, including East Africa, the Western Indian Ocean, and tropical and subtropical areas of Asia extending to the Pacific, this plant is notable for its broad ecological adaptability and cultural significance.

The Bastard guelder is characterized by its serrated leaves, contributing to its name serratifolia. These leaves are typically ovate with a sharply toothed margin, providing the plant with a robust and slightly rugged appearance. The vibrant foliage can range in color from lush green to a deeper, more subdued hue depending on the season and local environmental conditions.

Flowering in clusters, Bastard guelder produces small, aromatic flowers that are often white or pale yellow. These blooms attract a variety of pollinators, playing a crucial role in the plant’s reproductive cycle and contributing to the local biodiversity. The flowers are followed by small, fleshy berries, which are a source of food for many bird species.

Culturally and traditionally, Premna serratifolia holds significant value. In many regions within its range, the plant is utilized for its medicinal properties. Various parts of the plant, including the leaves, roots, and bark, are used in traditional remedies to treat ailments such as fever, pain, and digestive issues. Additionally, its strong wood is sometimes used in carpentry and for making tool handles, showcasing its utility beyond medicinal purposes.

Ecologically, Bastard guelder is essential for coastal and island ecosystems. Its ability to thrive in diverse environments, from the sandy soils of coastal dunes to the more stable soils of inland forests, demonstrates its adaptability and resilience. This adaptability also makes it an important species for stabilizing soil and preventing erosion in vulnerable landscapes.

First formally described in 1771, the species has been studied and documented for centuries, contributing to our understanding of plant diversity and the intricate relationships within ecosystems. Bastard guelder’s presence across such a wide geographical range underscores its ecological importance and the vital role it plays in both human culture and natural habitats.

In summary, Premna serratifolia is a noteworthy plant both ecologically and culturally. Its varied uses in traditional medicine, its contribution to the biodiversity of its habitats, and its historical significance as a documented species all highlight the importance of continued conservation and study of this versatile plant.

Common Names

Msa: buas-buas
Eng: bastard guelder, coastal premna, creek premna
En: Bastard guelder, Creek premna, Coastal premna, ကောန်ခရာၜဳ၊ တၞံ, Headache Tree, Arani
Ar: شوجب منشاري الأوراق
Bn: গনিয়ারি
Zh: 臭娘子
Fr: Lingue blanc, Bois de bouc, Premme à feuilles dentelées
Ms: Buas-buas
Ml: മുഞ്ഞ
Fa: ساجک برگ‌اره‌ای
Zh-tw: 臭娘子
Ta: பிரெம்னா செர்ராட்டிஃபோலியா
To: Volovalo
Vi: Vọng cách
: Malbau

Synonyms

• Premna capitata (A.Meeuse)
• Premna corymbosa var. madagascariensis (Moldenke)
• Gumira abbreviata ((Miq.) Kuntze)
• Premna timoriana (Decne.)
• Premna brongersmae (H.J.Lam)
• Premna obtusifolia var. pubescens (Moldenke)
• Premna integrifolia subsp. dentatolabium (H.J.Lam)
• Premna acuminatissima (Merr.)
• Gumira foetida ((Reinw. ex Blume) Hassk.)
• Premna populifolia (Miq.)
• Premna punctulata (C.B.Clarke)
• Premna benthamiana (Domin)
• Premna papuana (Wernham)
• Gumira divaricata ((Wall. ex Schauer) Kuntze)
• Premna corymbosa var. obtusifolia ((R.Br.) H.R.Fletcher)
• Premna congesta (Merr.)
• Premna dentatifolia (Moldenke)
• Premna serratifolia var. minor ((Ridl.) A.Rajendran & P.Daniel)
• Premna wrayi (King & Gamble)
• Premna foetida (Reinw. ex Blume)
• Premna dallachyana (Benth.)
• Gumira punctulata ((C.B.Clarke) Kuntze)
• Gumira limbata ((Benth.) Kuntze)
• Premna atra (Merr.)
• Premna membranifolia (Merr.)
• Premna obtusifolia (R.Br.)
• Premna divaricata (Wall. ex Schauer)
• Premna glandulosa (Merr.)
• Premna lucidula (Kurz)
• Premna obtusifolia var. minor ((Ridl.) Moldenke)
• Premna tiliifolia (Zipp. ex H.J.Lam & Bakh.)
• Premna guillauminii var. serrata (Moldenke)
• Gumira nitida ((K.Schum.) Kuntze)
• Premna media (R.Br.)
• Premna parviflora (H.J.Lam)
• Premna nauseosa (Blanco)
• Premna paniculata (H.R.Fletcher)
• Gumira dallachyana ((Benth.) Kuntze)
• Premna corymbosa var. sambucina ((Wall. ex Schauer) Moldenke)
• Premna gaudichaudii (Schauer)
• Premna woodii (Moldenke)
• Premna cyclophylla (Miq.)
• Premna spinosa (Roxb.)
• Premna obtusifolia f. serratifolia ((L.) Moldenke)
• Premna angustior ((C.B.Clarke) Ridl.)
• Premna obtusifolia var. angustior ((C.B.Clarke) Moldenke)
• Premna glandulifera (Merr.)
• Premna borneensis (H.J.Lam)
• Scrophularioides arborea (G.Forst.)
• Premna integrifolia var. minor (Ridl.)
• Premna syringifolia (Zipp. ex H.J.Lam & Bakh.)
• Premna nitida (K.Schum.)
• Gumira nauseosa ((Blanco) Kuntze)
• Premna tahitensis var. rimatarensis (F.Br.)
• Premna sambucina (Wall. ex Schauer)
• Gumira cyclophylla ((Miq.) Kuntze)
• Premna attenuata (R.Br.)
• Gumira ceramensis ((Miq.) Kuntze)
• Premna truncata (Turcz.)
• Gumira laevigata ((Miq.) Kuntze)
• Premna glabra (A.Gray ex Maxim.)
• Gumira opulifolia ((Miq.) Kuntze)
• Gumira truncata ((Turcz.) Kuntze)
• Premna perrottetii (C.B.Clarke)
• Gumira integrifolia (Hassk.)
• Premna abbreviata (Miq.)
• Premna obtusifolia var. madagascariensis ((Moldenke) Moldenke)
• Premna tateana (F.M.Bailey)
• Premna kunstleri (King & Gamble)
• Premna integrifolia subsp. truncatolabium (H.J.Lam)
• Premna obtusifolia var. gaudichaudii ((Schauer) Moldenke)
• Premna integrifolia var. angustior (C.B.Clarke)
• Premna glycycocca (F.Muell.)
• Gumira domestica (Hassk.)
• Premna limbata (Benth.)
• Premna lamii (Moldenke)
• Premna corymbosa ((Burm.f.) Schauer)
• Premna ovata (R.Br.)
• Premna subcordata (Turcz.)
• Premna obtusifolia var. serratifolia ((L.) Moldenke)
• Premna benguetensis (C.B.Rob.)
• Premna obtusifolia var. velutina (Benth.)
• Gumira attenuata ((R.Br.) Kuntze)
• Premna subglabra (Merr.)
• Premna dallachyana var. obtusisepala (Domin)
• Premna leytensis (Merr.)
• Premna dallachyana var. typica (Domin)
• Premna ceramensis (Miq.)
• Premna sumatrana (Ridl.)
• Premna opulifolia (Miq.)
• Premna hircina (Wall.)
• Premna tahitensis var. rapensis (F.Br.)
• Premna integrifolia var. obtusifolia ((R.Br.) C.Pei)
• Premna octonervia (Merr. & F.P.Metcalf)
• Premna corymbosa var. minor ((Ridl.) H.R.Fletcher)
• Premna macrophylla (H.J.Lam)
• Premna integrifolia (Willd.)

Distribution

• Aldabra (native)
• Andaman Is. (native)
• Assam (native)
• Bangladesh (native)
• Bismarck Archipelago (native)
• Borneo (native)
• Cambodia (native)
• Caroline Is. (native)
• Chagos Archipelago (native)
• China Southeast (native)
• Christmas I. (native)
• Cocos (Keeling) Is. (native)
• Comoros (native)
• Cook Is. (native)
• Fiji (native)
• Gilbert Is. (native)
• Hainan (native)
• India (native)
• Jawa (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Laccadive Is. (native)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
• Madagascar (native)
• Malaya (native)
• Maldives (native)
• Maluku (native)
• Marianas (native)
• Marquesas (native)
• Marshall Is. (native)
• Mauritius (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Mozambique Channel I (native)
• Nansei-shoto (native)
• Nauru (native)
• New Caledonia (native)
• New Guinea (native)
• Nicobar Is. (native)
• Niue (native)
• Northern Territory (native)
• Philippines (native)
• Pitcairn Is. (native)
• Queensland (native)
• Rodrigues (native)
• Réunion (native)
• Samoa (native)
• Santa Cruz Is. (native)
• Seychelles (native)
• Society Is. (native)
• Solomon Is. (native)
• South China Sea (native)
• Sri Lanka (native)
• Sulawesi (native)
• Sumatera (native)
• Taiwan (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Thailand (native)
• Tonga (native)
• Tuamotu (native)
• Tubuai Is. (native)
• Tuvalu (native)
• Vanuatu (native)
• Vietnam (native)
• Western Australia (native)
• Line Is. (introduced)

Additional Images

Leaf

Taken Feb 21, 2021 by Sothis (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 9, 2022 by DTR (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 22, 2021 by Vinegar Karen (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 15, 2018 by helene caze (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 16, 2022 by Abdourahmane Omar (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Aug 15, 2018 by helene caze (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 2021 by pratiwir pratiwir (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Endemia – Frédéric Desmoulins (cc-by-nc)

Taken Dec 28, 2021 by chrisdoc974 (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Endemia – Gildas Gateblé (cc-by-nc)

Flower

Taken Nov 22, 2022 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 22, 2022 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 22, 2022 by Jean-Marc Escoubas (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 22, 2022 by Jean-Marc Escoubas (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 18, 2019 by Coordination Endemia (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Endemia – Christian Létocart (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jan 1, 1970 by Endemia – Fredy Nothis (cc-by-nc)

Taken Sep 30, 2017 by laurence comte (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 9, 2022 by DTR (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 10, 2021 by PATRICK PREVOST (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Fruit

Taken Jan 10, 2021 by PATRICK PREVOST (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 21, 2021 by Sothis (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 9, 2022 by DTR (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 15, 2018 by helene caze (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 15, 2018 by helene caze (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Nov 16, 2012 by John Tasirin (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 26, 2020 by huy HO (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 27, 2020 by martine cosqueric (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:864424-1)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/6411486)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Premna serratifolia L.)

Specifications

Growth habit>: Shrub, Tree

Growth