Trevesia sundaica Miq.

Shrub or small, sparsely branched tree, up to 8 m; branches stout, with small prickles, young parts stellate-tomentose, becoming glabrous, buds with cataphylls. Leaves palmately lobed, clustered at the ends of the branches; petiole striate, c. 50-60 cm, unarmed or with a few prickles near the base, dilated with a clasping, heavily lenticellate base, ligule bicuspid; blade c. 60 by 60 cm, with 7-11 lobes, base cordate, lobes c. 30 by 40 cm, elliptic-oblong, apex acute to acuminate, separated by wide sinuses, mid-veins and widely spaced arched-ascending lateral veins prominent, margin serrate, occasionally irregularly incised. Inflorescence arising among or below the leaves, a raceme of umbellules, at first rusty pubescent, glabrescent; rachis up to 60 cm, often much shorter, bearing branches along its length and ending in an umbel, bracts lanceolate, caducous; secondary branches (peduncles) c. 8-16 cm, bearing small bracts along their length and around the umbellules; umbellules of c. 20-35 flowers, pedicels c. 2-5 cm, lateral umbellules sometimes bearing small sterile (male) flowers. Calyx rim very short, undulate. Corolla hemispherical in bud, c. 6 mm high, falling as a calyptra, petals 8-12. Stamens 8-12, filaments stout, anthers ovate, c. 3 mm long. Ovary at anthesis broadly obconic, rufous-furfuraceous, c. 8-10-celled; disk broadly conical passing into the stylar column. Fruit semiglobose, 1.25-1.5 cm ø, surrounded by the stylopodium and connate styles.

A tropical plant. In Java it grows from sea level up to 2,000 m above sea level. It grows in evergreen forests especially in valleys.

The flowers are boiled and eaten. They are bitter and have a smell. The young leaves are eaten.

Plants can be grown from seeds. It can be grown from cuttings. It can be used for hedges. It needs a fertile soil rich in humus. A spacing of 2 m is suitable.