Botany
Dulsis is a small deciduous or semi-deciduous canopy tree growing to a height of about 15 meters, which is smooth throughout. Leaves are somewhat leathery, ovate-lanceolate and elliptic-lanceolate, 8 to 12 centimeters long, 3.5 to 5 centimeters wide, the base rounded and the apex pointed. Flowers are dioecious. Male flowers are in short, peduncled cymes, with five broad, obtuse, imbricate sepals. Stamens are 5, erect; and the pistillode wooly. Female flowers are axillary and solitary; sepals are narrow and acute. Drupe is usually 2-keeled, 12 to 18 millimeters long, and ovoid; the pedicel is as long as the fruit; the endocarp, hard.

Distribution
- In forests at medium altitudes, in the Camarines Provinces of Luzon, and Davao in Mindanao.
- Occurs in India and Sri Lanka to Java and Celebes.

Constituents
- Yields a crystalline substance, lime methyl-indole or skatole.
- Phytochemical analysis of seeds yielded phenolic compounds, unsaturated lactones, carbohydrates, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid. (see study below) (3)

Properties
- Depurative.

Parts used
Bark.

Uses
Folkloric
- Bark taken internally with lemon juice as a purifier of blood, for itches and other cutaneous eruptions.
- In Sri Lanka, used as depurative; for eruptions and itches.
- In India, used as blood-purifier in itchy and cutaneous eruptions; mixed with lemon juice and applied externally.

Studies
• Antineoplastic / Seeds: Study investigated the potential antineoplastic property of seeds from ripe fruits of dulsis (Gironniera cuspidata). Results showed the seed extract to possess concentration dependent antineoplastic activity as shown by its ability to inhibit the germination of the onion seed, also inhibiting the growth of onion seeds, with decreased length of roots and limp appearance of roots.. The 100% seed extract showed the best activity. 3)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Gironniera reticulata / Indian Medicinal Plants
(2)
Aphananthe cuspidata (Blume) Planch. / Chinese name / Catalogue of Life, China
(3)
The Antineoplastic Property of the Seeds of Dulsis, Gironniera cuspidata, Family Ulmaceae / Revilla, Ana Fe B. et al. / Saint Louis University
(4)
Aphananthe cuspidata / Synonyms / The Plant List