Medicinal Plants Series II
(11
December 2004)

Click on covers above to enlarge.
Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia)
Tongkat Ali inhibits the under storey of lowland
forest. It is a small tree or treelet growing to a height of 10
meters. The main stem grows upright with or without only one or two
branches. At each end of the stem or branch, the leaves are arranged
to form a rosette or umbrella-like canopy. The leaves are
odd-pinnate compound, consisting of 20-30 pairs of leaflets with one
terminal leaflet. They are dark green and shiny. The flowers are
small, dark red, arranged in long panicles which arise from the leaf
axils. The fruits are drupe, yellowish brown in color.
Kacip Fatimah (Labisia pumila)
Kicap Fatimah thrives in shady places, normally as
undergrowth in the forest. It is a herbaceous shrub with creeping
rhizome. The leaves are elliptic-lanceolate in shape, the base is
alternate. The petioles are relatively short and slight flattened.
The surface of the leaves are shiny, dark green and lighter green at
the margin. The stems are erect, dark brown with distinct scars of
faller leaves. The nodes of the stem are capable of rooting. The
flowers are borne on racemes, about 6cm in length arise from leaf
axils. The fruits are berry, globose, red in color.
Kicap Fatimah is one of the most popular and potent
ingredient in traditional herbal 'jamu' for afterbirth care. A
decoction of the plant is used to expedite labor and as a protective
medicines after childbirth. It is also used for treating gonorrhea,
dysmenorrheal, rheumatism, dysentery and flatulence.
Buah Keras (Alleurites moluccana)
Buah Keras of candlenut is native to Malaysia but
now is distributed throughout the tropics. It is a medium or large
sized tree. The leaves are tomentose. They are oval in shape but
sometimes with shallow lobes. They have long petiole, 5-15 cm with
two glands at the base. The flowers are small, about 1 cm in
diameter, white and in large terminal cymes up to 20 cm long. The
fruits are 2-5 cm in diameter, green and fleshy, and are 1-2 seeded.
The fruits are dried and used in cooking as
seasoning. The pulped kernel enters into poultices for headache,
fevers, ulcers and swollen joints. The bark is used for dysentery
and the juice mixed with coconut milk is used to cure sprue. The
leaves are used for headache and gonorrhea.
Kerdas (Pithecellobium bubalinumbenth)
Kerdas is found in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra
mostly wild in the forest. The tree is of medium size reaching 15
meters in height. The canopy is round, bushy and compact. The leaves
are compound consisting of 2-3 pairs of leaflet. The leaflets are
lanceolate and asymmetry. The matured leaves are green and glossy
while the young shoot is purple.
The panicle is borne either at the terminal shoot or
at the leaf axil. The pod is straight and slightly curved, green
when young but turning reddish brown at maturity. The young seeds
are green and shiny turning reddish brown and then almost black when
fully ripe. The seeds are eaten raw as 'ulam' normally with rice and
'sambal'. They are crispy and tasty. The young shoot is also edible
and can be eaten raw. The seeds and shoot are known for their
diuretic and purgative effects.
Mas Cotek
Mas Cotek is a wild plant which can be found in
Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu. It grows well in the forest near
the beach but can also trive in the hilly areas up to 700 meters
from sea level.
It is a shrub that grows to a height of 2 meters,
but can also grow as epiplyte on other plants. The leaves are thick,
deltoid in shape and rounded at the apex but tapering at the base.
There are black, rusty or golden spots (therefore 'mas cotek') on
the upper and lower sides of the leaves but are more pronounced
below. The main vein has three branches and there are distinct spots
at the base of the branches on the lower surface of the leaves.
Flowers and fruits are borne at the leaf-axils, singly or in pairs.
Mas Cotekis used traditionally to cure lung disease.
It is also a well known herb for women after childbirth.
Technical Details
Date of Issue |
11 Dec 2004 |
Denomination |
30 sen, 50 sen, RM1 (2 designs) |
Stamp Size |
40mm X 30mm |
Miniature Sheet
Denomination |
RM2.00 |
Miniature Sheet
Size |
100mm X 70mm |
Stamp Size in
Miniature Sheet |
40mm X 30mm |
Perforation |
14 |
Sheet Content |
20 stamps |
Paper |
Watermarked,
Phosphor Coated |
Printing Process |
Lithography |
Source :
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