Reutealis trisperma
(Philippine tung)

Preferred Common Name

• Philippine tung

Other Scientific Names

• Aleurites saponarius Blanco
• Aleurites trispermus Blanco
• Camerium trispermum (Blanco) Kuntze

International Common Names

• English: Philippine tung tree; Philippines tung; soft lumbang
• Spanish: arbol de tung; javillio
• Chinese: san zi tong

Local Common Names

• Cuba: Aleurites
• Philippines: baguilumbang; balokanad; banukalad; banunkalag; calumban; kalumbang; lumbang-banukalad; lumbang-gubat

EPPO code

• ALETR (Aleurites trisperma)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Euphorbiales
•                         Family: Euphorbiaceae
•                             Genus: Aleurites
•                                 Species: Reutealis trisperma

Euphorbiaceae includes about 218 genera and 6745 species distributed worldwide (Stevens, 2012). Within this family, three closely related genera Aleurites, Reutealis and Vernicia, together constitute the tribe Aleuritideae (subfamily Crotonoideae). Reutealis is a monotypic plant genus and the single species, R. trisperma is endemic to the Philippines (Stuppy et al., 1999). R. trisperma can easily be distinguished from Aleurites and Vernicia by its five-angular or five-ribbed rather than terete twigs, the presence of rather persistent, hooded bracts, and spatulately flattened rather than terete stigmas (Stuppy et al., 1999). 

Trees to 15 m tall; trunk to 35 cm dbh. Petiole 14-15 cm; leaf blade ovate or ovate-cordate, 12-14 × 12-13 cm, abaxial surface with hair-tufts in many vein-axils, base usually deeply cordate with rounded lobes, sometimes rounded or obtuse on old trees, apex gland-tipped. Plants dioecious, sometimes monoecious. Male inflorescences flat-topped, with many cymelets. Male flowers: calyx cylindric, approximately 13 mm, 2- or 3-lobed, glabrous; petals 5, yellowish white, obovate, obovate-spatulate, or obovate-lanceolate, 8-16 × 3-5 mm; stamens 10-13, in 2 series; outer filaments free, inner ones connate at base. Female inflorescences flat-topped, racemose, or thyrsoid. Female flowers: ovary 3-celled, ovoid-globose-trigonous, densely appressed hairy; styles bifid. Capsule depressed globose to obtusely trigonous; pericarp 4-5 × 5-6.5 cm, longitudinally 3-angular, rugose, densely velutinous-pubescent (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2014). 

R. trisperma has been intentionally introduced to be used as a timber species (IUCN, 2014). In the West Indies, this species first appears in herbarium collections made in Cuba in 1932 and the Dominican Republic in 1955 (US National Herbarium). 

Soil reaction

• acid
• neutral

Soil texture

• light
• medium

R. trisperma spreads by seeds. Within its native distribution range, the major dispersal agents of the fruits are birds. For this species, long-distance dispersal is mostly related to human-activities. 

R. trisperma has escaped from cultivation and naturalized into natural forests causing the smothering of native species and interrupting the natural succession (Kairo et al., 2003).

Fruits and seeds of R. trisperma are poisonous to humans (Flora of India, 2014).

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Tolerant of shade
• Long lived
• Fast growing

• Modification of successional patterns
• Monoculture formation
• Reduced native biodiversity

• Causes allergic responses
• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Poisoning

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately

R. trisperma is grown as a timber species. Wood is used for carving and to make furniture, small utensils, and matches. Seeds are used to extract oil and in traditional medicine (Holilah et al., 20014). Seeds are a strong purgative and the bark sap is used as a cure for scurf. The oil yielded by the seeds was formerly employed in the Philippines for the production of a weak soap which was in demand among sailors owing to its property of lathering in sea water (Stuppy et al., 1999). A recent study suggests the potential use of R. trisprema seeds as a new non-edible source for the production of biodiesel (Holilah et al., 20014).