Gen info
- Champereia is a genus of plants in the family Opiliaceae. It was described as a genus in 1843, and contains only one known species, Champereia manillana.  (2)
- Etymology: The genus name derives from the Malay name cemperai for the species. The specific epithet is manillana is likely Latinized Manila, referring to one of the localities of natural distribution. (4)

Botany
• Trees 2-10 m tall. Bark pale. Leaves glabrous; petiole 2-5 mm; leaf blade ovate, ± lanceolate, lanceolate, or oblong, 5-13 × 2.5-6 cm, ± leathery to papery, base cuneate to obtuse, apex acute to acuminate; veins 4-9 on each side of midvein. Panicles 1 or 2 fascicled, 4-20 cm; bracts ovate to lanceolate, ca. 0.5 mm, apex acute. Bisexual flower: pedicel 1-5 mm; tepals oblong, 1.5-1.7 mm; filaments filiform; anthers ovoid, ca. 0.3 mm; disk crenulate; ovary conic, ca. 0.5 mm. Female flowers: pedicel ca. 0.5 mm; tepals ca. 0.5 mm; staminodes ca. 0.2 mm; disk lobes smaller than staminodes; ovary cylindric to ovoid, ca. 0.5 mm; stigma cushion-shaped. Drupe orange-red or red, ellipsoid, 1-2.5 × 0.7-1.7 cm; pedicel 1.5-5 mm. (Flora of China)

• A tree or shrub, usually about 4–8 m tall, sometimes reaching 20 m. Its flowers grow on the stem and trunk. Foliage: Leaves are alternate and stalked with fleshy or leathery leaf blades that are egg-shaped, oblong or lance-shaped, and about 4.5–25 by 1.5–11 cm. The leaf blades are hairless on both surfaces. Flowers: Flowering shoots are solitary or in groups of 2–4, up to 20 cm long. Shoots bear both unisexual and bisexual flowers. Unisexual flowers are green, whereas the bisexual flowers are yellowish-green. Fruits: Fruits are orange-red drupes that are 8–15 by 7–9 mm. (4)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1)
- Also native to Andaman Is., Borneo, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)
- Champereia manillana var. manillana is naturalized. (3)
- Ornamental in gardens and parks.

Constituents
- Study of dichloromethane extract of dried leaves isolated squalene (1), lutein (2), ß-carotene (3), phytol (4), chlorophyll a (5), and 1,2-dilinoleoyl-3-linolenoylglycerol (6). (6)
- In a study of five Malaysian vegetables, C. manillana showed highest calcium content (565 mg/kg edible fresh sample). (6)

Properties
- Studies have suggested water purifying properties.

Parts used
Leaves, roots, shoots.

Uses
Edibility
- Young leaves and fruits edible; eaten as vegetables.
Folkloric
- In Mindanao, pounded leaves applied to headache or stomachache.
- Pounded leaves and roots applied as poultice to ulcers.
- Boiled roots used for rheumatism.
- In Thailand, leaves used as scabicide. (8)

Studies
• Potential for Drinking Water Treatment / Shoots: Alum-based coagulant treatment for drinking water leaves residues, which besides being expensive poses a risk to health. Study evaluated the efficacy and optimum dosages of C. manillana to remove turbidity and heavy metals from surface water sources. Flavonoids and tannins are coagulating agents naturally present in C. manillana shoots. Study showed the best and optimum turbidity removal is in low and moderate turbid water sample (5-50 NTU) up to 62.9% at 2.0 mg/L of extract. Results showed the shoot extract has natural and inexpensive potential to replace chemical coagulant in drinking water treatment. The author suggests water treatment for own use  by drying and pounding shoots until fine, pouring it in a bucket of water, stirring, and allowing it to settle to the bottom, leaving the water safe to use. Certainly, a great boon to many rural communities and poverty eradication programs. (5)
• Potential for Drinking Water Treatment / Crude Extracts of C. manillana and P. guajava: Another study evaluated the use effectiveness and optimum dosages of concoction of C. manillana and Psidium guajava for removal of turbidity and heavy metals in surface water sources. The concoction of crude extracts of P. guajava and C. manillana in dosages of 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 mg/L and concoction ration of 1:1, 1:0 and 0:1.  The best optimum turbidity removal was observed in low and moderate turbid water sample (5-50 NTU) up to 64.3% at 2.0 mg/L 1:1 rations of Cm and Pg. Results suggest ability to remove suspended solid in water, and potential for replacing chemical coagulant in drinking water treatment. (7)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Ornamental cultivation.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Champereia manillana / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Champereia manillana / AsianPlantNet
(3)
Opiliaceae : Champereia / Edited by Pieter B. Pelser, July 2022 / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(4)
Champereia manillana (Blume) Merr. / National Parks: FLORA & FAUNA WEB
(5)
Potential of Champereia manillana Shoots Extract as Coagulant for Drinking Water Treatment / ER Aweng, J Jessuta, K Prawit, AA Liyana / The 6th International Seminar of Regional Network on Poverty Education, Nov 13-16, 2015, Sri Venkateswara University, India.
(6)
Chemical Constituents of Champereia manillana (Blume) Merrill / Consolacion Y Ragasa, S Urban, Vincent Antonio S Ng / Corpus ID 102438430 / Semantic Scholar
(7)
Potential of the concoction of Champereia manillana and Psidium guajava shoot extracts as coagulant for drinking water treatment /  Aweng Eh Rak, Liyana Ahmad Afip / Malayan Nature Journal, 2015; 67(4): pp 419-426
(8)
Ethnobotanical Studies in Muslim Thai Communities Located Around Tah-Daeng Peat Swamp Forest in Thailand / Ubonwan Upho, Chusie Trisonthi, Kongkanda Chayamarit / Chiang Mai J Sci., 2004; 31(2): pp 157-170

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)