Botany
Malaatis is a shrub or small tree. Leaves are oblong-elliptical, 11 to 15 centimeters long, and 3.5 to 5 centimeters wide, smooth, with pointed tips. Flowers are solitary and yellowish green. Sepals are somewhat kidney-shaped, about 2 millimeters long, and 4 millimeters wide. Petals are ovate-lanceolate, 5 to 6 centimeters long and about 2 centimeters wide.

Distribution
Common in forests at low and medium altitudes from Babuyan Islands to Palawan and Mindanao.
Also occurs in Borneo.

Properties
Considered cicatrizant, diuretic.

Parts used
Leaves, roots.

Uses
Folkloric
In the Philippines, leaves, either fresh or burned into ash, used as cicatrizant.
Fresh leaves are bruised and applied as topical to wounds, and the ash dusted on afterwards.
Decoction of roots or dried leaves used as diuretic.

Availability
Wild-crafted.