The Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) Plant of the Month (POM) for November 2024 is the Galamay Amo, scientifically known as Schefflera elliptica (Blume) Harms from the family Araliaceae. This plant is native to East Asia and commonly found hanging on trees in thickets and secondary forests at low elevations.
Galamay Amo bears orange to red (when ripe) fruits usually in drupes, globose to ovoid. It is a climber or also known as epiphytic plant. The plant produces small flowers in raceme along the main branches of the inflorescence. Its leaves are compound and palmately arranged with 5-7 foliolate. Its leaflets are leathery and glabrous.
Galamay Amo serves a variety of purposes across traditional medicine and daily life. Its bark is used to treat coughs, asthma, fever, liver diseases, rheumatism, sprains, and as a general tonic. The leaves, when decocted, are employed as an antiscorbutic and are also used in India to aid bone fracture recovery. Its resin is valued for healing wounds, while the wood is chewed to alleviate toothaches. Additionally, the roots, when mixed with rice and consumed, are believed to cure edema.
For more information, you may view this video link: https://youtu.be/pi-8n6xfI0U
By: AALimpiada and ACMalayba