152 MALAY POISONS AND CHABM CURES 



It has a slender stem covered with stinging hairs, 

 oblong cuspidate leaves covered with hairs, and about 

 6 inches long and 2 inches broad ; the leaf stalk is from 

 J inch to 1 J inches long. The inflorescence is a raceme 

 about 2 inches long, axillary, the upper flowers male, 

 the lower ones female. The flowers are small and green. 

 The capsule is tliree-lobed, about | inch long, and 

 covered with strong spiny hairs (Eef. 18). Jelafang 

 rma, the ** sambhur deer *' net tie- tree or " rhinoceros " 

 nettle-tree (badak), is said to be less poisonous than a 

 kind called jelatang gajcih, the " elephant " nettle- tree. 

 There is also the common little nettle — jelatang ay am, the 

 *' fowl " nettle (Fleurya interrupta, Gaud. — ^Urticacese) 

 — and the " snake " nettle, jelalang ular (Tragia, sp. 

 EuphorbiaccEe) ; both are found in Kelantan. 



Uses* — The leaves of jelatang gajah are sometimes 

 strmig on a cord and tied to the portal of a Malay house 

 to scare away evil spirits, and in this connexion it is 

 interesting to remember that the nettle was blessed by 

 St. Patrick as useful both to man and beast. The 

 jelatang is used, according to Vaughan Stevens, by the 

 east coast Negritos (Pangan) with the fresh juice of the 

 upas tree (Antiaris toxicaria) for poisoning their darts. 

 When used in Kelantan as a poison by criminals the 

 flowers and leaves are mixed in cakes with a view to 

 causing death. 



JITONG (see also section R£NGAS) 



Jitong belongs to the genus Glut a (Anacardiaceae), 

 and is better known as one of the ringas trees. It is a 

 tall jungle tree with foliage and flowers Hke the horse 

 mango tree {pohok fmckmig ; Mangif era fcetida, Eoxb. 

 — Anacardiacess). There are five species of the genus 

 Gluta m the Malay Peninsula ; the sap yields a resinous 

 product which is acrid and poisonous. The commonest 



