Botanical Overview
Stemonoporus cordifolius is a species in the Dipterocarpaceae family. The dipterocarp family (Dipterocarpaceae) includes large tropical trees with simple, alternate leaves and prominent stipules. The fruits are nuts with two or more enlarged wing-like sepals that aid in wind dispersal. These trees dominate many Southeast Asian rainforest canopies and produce valuable timber and resins. Phytochemical data for this species are limited at present.
General Description
It is a tree endemic to southwestern Sri Lanka, where it is limited to the southern slopes of Adam’s Peak. It is a gregarious understory tree in evergreen montane rain forest. The species was first described as Monoporandra cordifolia by George Henry Kendrick Thwaites in 1854. In 1931 Arthur Hugh Garfit Alston placed the species in genus Stemonoporus as S. cordifolius.
Geographic Distribution
Stemonoporus cordifolius has been recorded in , and Sri Lanka.
Active Compounds
Phytochemical research has identified 2 compounds in this species: betulin, betulinic-acid.
Research Status
Although this species has documented phytochemical constituents, its ethnobotanical and clinical documentation remains incomplete. Additional phytochemical investigation could identify novel bioactive compounds in this plant.