Botany
Dugtong-ahas is a woody vine. Leaves are oblong or obovate-lanceolate, 7 to 10 centimeters long, pointed at both ends. Flowers are small, white and clustered. Fruit is very long and slender, 15 to 20 centimeters in length, smooth, very narrowed between seeds. Seeds are about a centimeter long, sharply pointed at one end and crowned on the other end with numerous white hairs about 2.5 centimeters long.

Distribution
- Common in thickets and open forests at low and medium altitudes in Ilocos Norte, La Union, Bontoc, Benguet, Nueva Viscaya, Zambales, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, and Rizal Provinces in Luzon; and in Mindoro, Busuanga, Palawan, Panay, and Cebu.
- Also occurs in China, Cambonia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Borneo to the Moluccas.

Constituents
- The bark contains a caoutchouc, 8.5%, which may be mixed with a resin.
- Study reports the rubber contains 6% of resin.

Properties
- Cicatrizant.

Parts utilized
Bark, twigs, leaves.

Uses
Folkloric
- In the Philippines, the tagulauai oil has been long valued as a cicatrizant. To prepare, the bark is macerated in coconut oil and used as vulnerary.
- Pounded twigs and leaves are applied to cuts and lacerations.
- Infusion of leaves taken internally as an emmenagogue, to facilitate menses.
- The bark, macerated in oil is an efficient, also used internally for tuberculosis.
- Decoction of the bark drunk in the Sunds Islands and in Java after childbirth to help shrink the uterus.
- Decoction of the bark also used for dysentery and externally for wounds.
- Referred to as "Aceite de Moros," "Balsamo de Cebu" and "Balsamo de Tagulaway" - prepared by cooking the root-bark and branches of Parameria barbata in coconut oil. The yellowish-white oily liquid is used for skin diseases and wounds.
- In Indonesia, it is an ingredient of a folk medicine called "Jamu" or" Kayu rapet," traditionally used as an anti-ulcer or anti-diarrheal medicine and for treating wounds.

Studies
• Phytochemicals / Bark Constituents: Studies on the constituents of bark of Parameria laevigata moldenke: One new trimeric proanthocyanadin and two new tetrameric proanthocyanidains – parameritannin A-1 and parameritannin A-2 were isolated from the bark of Parameria laevigata Moldenke.
• Jamu / Anti-thrombotic / Anti-arteriosclerotic: P laevigata, one of many components in a study, was shown to have an anti-thrombus effect.
• Antiteratogenic Potential: Extracts from the leaf of P. laevigata and yacon tubers (Smallanthus sonchifolius) were studied for antiteratogenic potential using duck embryos. Extracts administered with retinoic acid had antiteratogenic properties.

Availability
Wild-crafted.