Kleinhovia

Kleinhovia is a monotypic genus of plants in the cotton, hibiscus and cacao family Malvaceae. The sole species in the genus is Kleinhovia hospita, commonly known as guest tree, an evergreen tree native to Indonesia, Malaysia and other parts of tropical Asia and the Pacific.

Description

Kleinhovia hospita is an evergreen, bushy tree growing up to Template:Cvt high, with a dense rounded crown and upright pink sprays of flowers and fruits. Leaves are simple and alternate; stipules are ensiform to linear, about Template:Cvt long; petioles are up to Template:Cvt long; the leaf-blade is ovate to heart-shaped, glabrous on both sides, with the apex pointed. Secondary veins occur in 6–8 pairs, palmately nerved.

The flowers of K. hospita are terminal, in loose panicles protruding from the crown; flowers are about Template:Cvt wide, coloured pale pink; pedicels are up to Template:Cvt long; bracteoles are lanceolate, to Template:Cvt long, Template:Botanygloss; gynandrophores are about Template:Cvt long and pubescent; there are 5 sepals, linear lanceolate, about Template:Cvt long, pink, tomentose; 5 petals, inconspicuous, the upper one being yellow; 15 stamens, Template:Botanygloss, up to Template:Cvt long, staminal tube broadly campanulate, adanate to gynandrophore, 5-lobed, each lobe having 3 anthers and alternating with staminodes; the anthers are sessile and extrorse; pistil occur with a 5-celled, pilose ovary, one style and a capitate, with a 5-lobed stigma. K. hospita flowers throughout the year.

Fruit production starts early, often in the third year after planting. The fruit of K. hospita are rounded, 5-lobed, thin-walled, membranous capsules, Template:Cvt in diameter, loculicidally dehiscent, each locule having 1–2 seeds. The seeds are globose, whitish, warty and exalbuminous. The fruits are more conspicuous than the flowers because of their abundance and size.

Range

Kleinhovia's range includes Bangladesh, Christmas Island, Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam, Hainan, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, Caroline Islands, Lesser Sunda Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoan Islands, and Society Islands.Template:R

It has been introduced to the Comoro Islands, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Windward Islands.Template:R

Uses

Kleinhovia hospita has been used as a traditional medicine to treat scabies in parts of Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. The bark and leaves has been used as a hair wash for lice, while the juice of the leaves can be used as an eyewash. Young leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Bast fibres are used for making ropes used for tying or for tethering livestock.Template:R

The wood of K. hospita shows a pinkish buff and is moderately fine in texture, soft, light, easy to season, work and finish. Its energy value is about 19000 kJ/kg. The leaves and bark contain cyanogenic compounds that are assumed to help to kill ectoparasites such as lice. Extracts of the leaves have shown anti-tumour activity against sarcoma in mice. A number of fatty acids with a cyclopropenylic ring (scopoletin, kaempferol, and quercetin) have been isolated from the leaves.Template:R

Kleinhovia hospita is used for ornamental purposes: the attractiveness of the pink panicles accounts for its spread as an ornamental.

The tree bark of Kleinhovia hospita has a good potential as a reinforcement for Fiber Reinforced Composite because of its high mechanical strength.Template:R

Gallery

• Mature tree
  Mature tree
• Foliage
  Foliage
• Colour plate by Francisco Manuel Blanco
  Colour plate by Francisco Manuel Blanco
• Budding inflorescence
  Budding inflorescence
• Close up of flowers
  Close up of flowers
• Pollen grains
  Pollen grains
• Flowers and fruit
  Flowers and fruit

External links

• View images of this species on Flickriver.com
• View observations of this species on iNaturalist