Gen info
- Polyscias is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. In 2003, a published checklist and nomenclator for Araliaceae listed 116 species for Polyscias. (2)
- As of July 2022, POWO recognizes 180 species.

Botany
• Malapapaya is a tall tree reaching a height of about 25 m and a diameter of 50 cm. Bole is very long, cylindrical, with no buttresses or with very low, simple, rounded and inconspicuous buttresses. Outer bark is whitish or creamy white. Leaves are crowded on the twig apices, widely spreading downward, simple pinnate, 1-2 cm long, with 14-20 pairs of leaflets. Leaflet is ovate-oblong to lanceolate with short acuminate base, crenate-serrate margins, 10-25 cm long and 4-10 cm wide. Inflorescences are panicles about 1.5 cm long with sessile, yellow-green flowers about 2 cm long. Fruits are subglobose, ridged and yellowish, with a red persistent calyx, and five-ribbed when dry. (4)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Found in Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna, Mindoro, Palawan, Leyte, Surigao, and Basilan.
- In open thickets and secondary growth forests at low and medium altitudes. Also in moist areas along gullies and creeks.
- Also native to Java, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku, New Guinea, Queensland, Solomon Is. (1)

Constituents
- Study of dichlormethane extract of Polyscias nodosa yielded squalene (1). phytyl fatty acid esters (2), lutein (3), ß-sitosteryl-3∂-glucopyranoside-6'-0-palmitate (4) from the leaves; and 1,triacylglycerols (5), and a mixture of stigmasterol (6a) and ß-sitosterol (6b) in a 5:1 ratio from the twigs. (5)

Properties
- Flowers reported as having a fragrant scent.
- Considered febrifuge and contraceptive.

Parts used
Leaves

Uses
Folkloric
- In Mindanao, leaves used medicinally against purpuric fever and as contraceptive. (7)
Others
- Fish poison: Powdered leaves or pounded leaves mixed with ash used as fish poison. (•) Leaves contain a poisonous saponinaceous substance. (7)
- Wood: Yields a lightweight hardwood with density of 300-515 kg/m3 at 15% moisture.  Shrinkage is high, seasons well, with negligible warping. Wood is weak and softt, easy to work with, fairly durable for interior work, but very perishable when exposed to weather or in contact with the ground. Wood is susceptible to dry-wood termites. (7) A good wood source for the manufacture of plywood and veneer, wooden shoes, handicrafts and a variety of common-use products (matchsticks, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, chopsticks, ice cream spoons). It is a good replacement for non-biodegradable food containers. (see study below)
- Agroforestry: Useful for the reforestation of denuded forest areas.

Studies
• Effect of Thermal Modification on Wood: Study evaluated the use of thermal modification to improve physico-mechanical properties and decay resistance of Malapapaya wood. Wood properties were altered with exposure to high temperature and long treatment duration. Treatment results in  wood color change, improved dimensional stability indicated by reduction in water absorption and thickness swelling of treated material, along with significantly improved decay resistance against white rot and brown rot fungi.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Polyscias nodosa / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Polyscias / Wikipedia
(3)
Growing malapapaya, Polyscias nodosa (Blume) Seeman, and environmentally, economically and friendly source of livvelihood / AGRIS
(4)
Malapapaya / Philippine Flora
(5)
Chemical constituents of Polyscias nodosa / C. R. Ragasa, V D Ebajo, S. Urban et al / Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological, and Chemical Sciences, 2015; 6(5): pp 1210-1214
(6)
Physico-Mechanical properties and durability of thermally modified malapapaya [polyscias nodosa (blume) seem.] wood / Juanito P Jimenez et al /  Philippine Journal of Science, 211; 140(1): pp 13-23
(7)
Polyscias / PROSEA

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)