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Botany
Small tree. 3 to
5 meters high. Leaves are hairy when young, oblong, 8 to 15 cm
long, with a petiole 1 to 1.5 cm long. Flowers occur singly in
the axils of the leaves, about 2.5 cm long, pendulous, three-angled,
light green to yellow. Fruit is large, slightly heart-shaped,
6 to 9 cm long, the outside with polygonal tubercles. When ripe,
the fruit is light yellowish-green, with a white, sweet soft
and juicy flesh.
Distribution
Cultivated throughout
the Philippines; occasionally spontaneous.
Parts used and preparation
Leaves, fruit and
seeds.
Chemical
constituents and properties
The leaves yield
an alkaloid, chloroplatinate.
Seed yields an alkaloid, neurtral resin, fixed oil.
Seed contains a yellow, non-drying oil and an irritant which
kills lice.
The leaves, fruit and seeds are vermicidal and insecticidal.
The unripe fruit is astringent, used for diarrhea and dysentery
and dyspepsia.
The bark is astringent and tonic.
Roots make a drastic purgative.
Uses:
Folkloric
Salted bruised
leaves used to hasten suppuration.
Fainting
Crush fresh leaves
and place over nose.
Infected Insect bites
Pound and extract the juice from one unripe fruit and apply the
juice directly on the infected bites, 3 times daily.
Lice infestation of
the head:
Atis in the herbal treatment regimen:
(1) Shampoo hair with gugo bark or any commercial shampoo daily
for one week; with "suyod" combing twice daily.
(2) For lice eggs (nits), apply hot vinegar for half an hour
after shampooing; then "suyod" (fine combing) thoroughly.
(3) Bedtime, pound 1/2 cup of atis seeds and mix with 1/4 cup
of oil. Apply mixture throroughly to the scalp and hair. Wrap
the hair and head overnight. Shampoo in the morning and follow
with fine tooth combing. Do daily for 3-5 days.
(4) Paste of the crushed seeds in water, applied to the scalp.
The same used as abortifacient applied to the os uteri.
Nutrition
Eaten raw or makes
a delicious ice cream.
The fermented fruit used to make cider.
Others
The blackened aborted
atis fruit is a preferred by some healers as an ingredient in
the making of the "unton," used for bales.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Small or large scale cultivation for fruit produce.
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