Cocculus laurifolius Dc.

Erect shrub or tree up to 6 m, with main stem up to 12 cm ø. Branchlets glabrous. Leaves: petioles 3—6(—10) mm; lamina elliptic or oblanceolate-elliptic, apex acute, often rather attenuate, base usu-ally acute, occasionally cuneate, 7-11 (-15) by 3-5.5 cm, base strongly 3-nerved with the basal nerves run-ning almost parallel to the margin beyond the middle of the lamina; both surfaces glabrous, stiffly papyraceous. Male inflorescences axillary, composed of cymes arranged in a thyrse, or sometimes consisting of a single cyme, 0.5-4 cm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous; bracts subulate, 1 mm long, frequently puberulous. Male flowers yellow, glabrous throughout, borne on pedicels up to 1 mm; sepals in 2 whorls of 3, all ± broadly elliptic, outer sepals 0.5-0.75 mm long, inner sepals 1-1.25 mm long; petals 6, cuneate, apex emarginate or divided into 2 rounded lobes, also with 2 incurved lateral lobes clasping the stamen opposite, 0.5 mm long; stamens 6, 0.75 mm long. Female inflorescences similar to male but fewer-flowered thus appearing subrace-mose. Female flowers on pedicels up to 5 mm, sepals and petals as in male flowers; staminodes 6, mi-nute; carpels 3, each with slender re flexed style. Drupes rotund in outline, c. 4 mm ø, glabrous; endocarp with a small curved aperture on both sides, fine-ly ridged over the dorsal surface.

Open woodland, thickets, grassland, river-banks, teak and banana plantations up to 1500 m.

Uses. BURKILL (1935) records the presence of an alkaloid in the bark which has an action similar to that of curare, and is known as cocculine or coclau-rine.