Pelajau, Plajau, Pelong Tree, White Pelon Tree

Last updated: February 8, 2026Reviewed date: February 8, 2026Reading time: 6 min read

Patient Tools

Read, save, and share this guide

Use these quick tools to make this medical article easier to read, print, save, or share with a family member.

On this page3 sections

Article Summary

Key Takeaways

This article explains Pelajau Scientific Classification in simple medical language.
This article explains Traditional uses in simple medical language.
This article explains Culinary uses in simple medical language.

Before reading

RX Patient Tools

Use these quick guides before reading the article, or return to them when you need help preparing questions for a doctor.

Start here Choose the right pathway for symptoms, reports, medicines, or urgent warning signs. Disease article roadmap Read this topic step by step: meaning, symptoms, warning signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and follow-up. Treatment planner Prepare questions about treatment choices, benefits, risks, side effects, and follow-up. Family & caregiver guide Organize symptoms, reports, medicines, questions, and follow-up safely. Nutrition & diet guide Prepare food, hydration, supplement, and medicine-timing questions safely. Prevention guide Organize risk factors, protective habits, screening, and warning signs. Recovery guide Prepare a safe plan for activity, rehabilitation, warning signs, and follow-up.

Educational health guideWritten for patient understanding and clinical awareness.

Reviewed content workflowUse writer and reviewer profiles for stronger trust.

Emergency safety firstUrgent warning signs are highlighted below.

Definition

Pelajau, Pentaspadon motley, is a plant species belonging to the family Anacardiaceae and found in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. It is endangered by the loss of habitat. The fruits and seeds are edible after cooking. In the native tropical range, it is found in lowland undisturbed primary forests up to an altitude of 200 meters. It mostly occurs in swamps, repeatedly inundated areas, and along rivers and streams on sandy to clayey soils. Usually, it is found as a pre-disturbance remnant in secondary forests. Naturally, it occurs in low-lying and undulating land especially near streams and in seasonal swamp forests. Leaves measure 10 to 30 cm long with 7 to 9 leaflets. Usually, leaflets are opposite with pointed apex having rounded base and pinkish color when young. The bark is grey-white with pink inner bark and has whitish sap when cut. Timber is light hardwood with light yellow-green heartwood. Sapwood is white having a green tinge when fresh measuring 2-3 cm wide and not clearly differentiated. The soil is light reddish loam and shallow having underlying rock and granite and also good drainage.

Name	Pelajau
Scientific Name	Pentaspadon motleyi
Native	Native to Malaysia (peninsular, Sarawak and Sabah); Indonesia (Kalimantan, Irian Jaya, Sumatra), Papua New Guinea (Gulf and Madang Provinces), Bougainville and the Solomon Islands.
Common/English Name	Pelajau, Plajau, Pelong Tree, White Pelon Tree
Name in Other Languages	Indonesia: Plajau (Sumatra), Djuping, Empelanjau, Empit, Kedondong, Panjau, Letjut, Pelajau, Pelasit, Peladjau, Pilajau, Plajau, Planjau, Praju, Polajo, Umpit, Tampison, Vpie (Kalimantan); Malaysia: Pelong Licin, Kedondong (Peninsular), Plajau, Lakacho, Plasin Uping (Sarawak), Empelanjau, Pelajau (Sabah); New Guinea: Ailala, Laleua, Laleva; Borneo: Djuping, Empelanjau, Empit, Kedondong, Panjau, Letjut, Pelajau, Pelasit, Peladjau, Pilajau, Planjau, Plajau, Praju, Polajo, Umpit, Tampison, Vpie
Plant Growth Habit	Emergent, tall tree
Plant Size	51 m tall and 70 cm dbh
Bark	Scaly, grey-brown
Leaf	Alternate, compound, imparipinnate, 10-20 cm long
Flower	Small, 4 mm in diameter, cream
Fruit shape & size	Fleshy ovoid, pointed drupe, 3–5 cm by 2–2.75 cm
Fruit color	Greenish-brown
Seed	Ovoid, oblong compressed

Pelajau Scientific Classification

Scientific Name: Pentaspadon motleyi

Rank	Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Sapindales
Family	Anacardiaceae
Genus	Pentaspadon Hook.f.
Species	Pentaspadon motleyi Hook.f.
Synonyms	Nothoprotium sumatranum Miq. Pentaspadon moszkowskii Lauterb. Pentaspadon minutiflora B. L. Burtt Pentaspadon officinalis Holmes Pentaspadon officinalis Holmes ex King Rhus novoguineensis Laut

Plant description

Pentaspadon motley is a tall tree measuring 51 meters in height and 70 cm dbh with thin spreading buttresses and scaly or grey-brown bark. Leaves are compound, alternate, imparipinnate measuring 10–20 cm long having 7 to 9 dark green leaflets which are pink when young. Leaflets are opposite and about 5–13 cm × 2–6 cm. It has a pointed apex and rounded base, penni-veined having 6 to 10 pairs of secondary nerves and hairy domatia in axils of secondary nerves. Flowers are small, cream-colored, and about 4 mm in diameter. The bisexual flowers have imbricate petals and five fertile stamens that alternate with five sterile staminodes and one-celled ovary having a short style. Fruit is a drupe which is fleshy ovoid, greenish-brown, 3–5 cm by 2–2.75 cm which contains one large, ovoid and oblong compressed seed.

Traditional uses

In Sarawak, use the sap as oil for the itch, skin diseases, and scabies.
Stems resin is used to calm down the itchiness of the skin.

Culinary uses

Consume the fruits fresh, cooked, fried, or roasted.
The kernel offers a pleasant taste when roasted or fried.
Add the kernels to the soup.
Boil the fruits.

References

Safety note: This is not a prescription or diagnosis. For severe symptoms, pregnancy danger signs, children with serious illness, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke-like weakness, or major injury, seek urgent care.

Which doctor may help?

Start with a registered doctor or the nearest qualified health center.

What to tell the doctor

Write when the problem started and how it changed.
Bring old prescriptions, investigation reports, and current medicines.
Write allergies, pregnancy status, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, and major past illnesses.
Bring one family member if the patient is weak, elderly, confused, or a child.

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which danger signs mean I should go to hospital quickly?
Which tests are necessary now, and which can wait?
How should I take medicines safely and what side effects should I watch for?
When should I come for follow-up?

Tests to discuss

Vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation
Basic physical examination by a clinician
CBC, urine test, blood sugar, or imaging only when clinically needed

Avoid these mistakes

Do not use antibiotics, steroid tablets/injections, or strong painkillers without proper medical advice.
Do not hide pregnancy, kidney disease, ulcer, allergy, or blood thinner use.
Do not delay emergency care when danger signs are present.

Medicine safety and first-aid guide

This section is for patient education only. It does not replace a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency care.

Safe first steps

Stop activity and seek urgent medical evaluation.
Chest pain should not be managed only with home medicine.
Discuss ECG and cardiac blood tests with emergency care when appropriate.

OTC medicine safety

Do not take random painkillers to hide chest pain before medical evaluation.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not start antibiotics without a proper medical decision.
Do not use steroid tablets or injections casually for quick relief.
Do not delay emergency care because of home remedies.

Get urgent help if

Chest pressure, sweating, breathlessness, fainting, pain spreading to arm/jaw/back, or known heart disease needs emergency care.

Medicine names, dose, and timing must be decided by a qualified clinician or pharmacist after checking age, pregnancy, allergy, other diseases, and current medicines.

For rural patients and family caregivers

Patient health record and symptom diary

Write your symptoms, medicines already taken, test results, and questions before visiting a doctor. This note stays on your device unless you print or copy it.

Doctor to discuss: Doctor / qualified healthcare provider

Tests to discuss with doctor

Basic vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level if needed
Relevant blood, urine, imaging, or specialist tests only after clinical assessment

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which warning signs mean I should go to emergency care?
Which tests are really needed now?
Which medicines are safe for my age, pregnancy status, allergy, kidney/liver/stomach condition, and current medicines?

Emergency warning signs such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, major injury, or loss of bladder/bowel control need urgent medical care. Do not wait for online information.

Go to emergency care if you notice:

Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
Breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, major injury, or severe dehydration

Doctor / service to discuss: Qualified healthcare provider; specialist depends on symptoms and examination.

Step 1
Check danger signs first

If danger signs are present, seek emergency care and do not wait for online information.
Step 2
Record the symptom story

Write when symptoms started, severity, medicines already taken, allergies, pregnancy status, and test results.
Step 3
Visit a qualified clinician

A doctor, nurse, or qualified healthcare provider can examine you and decide which tests or treatment are needed.
Step 4
Do only useful tests

Do tests after clinical assessment. Avoid unnecessary tests, random antibiotics, or repeated medicines without diagnosis.
Step 5
Follow up and return early if worse

If symptoms worsen, new warning signs appear, or treatment is not helping, return for review quickly.

Rural patient practical tips

Take a written symptom diary and all previous prescriptions/test reports.
Do not hide medicines already taken, even herbal or over-the-counter medicines.
Ask which warning signs mean urgent referral to hospital.

This roadmap is for education. A real diagnosis and treatment plan requires history, examination, and clinical judgment.

Internal learning pathway

Explore related RX articles

Related guides from RX Harun are grouped to help readers move from overview to symptoms, tests, treatment, and safe next steps.

Rx Vegetables, Herbs and Spices (A - Z)

What is Dropshipping? DefinitionDropshipping is a retail fulfillment business model that allows organizations to ship a third-party product directly…
Color meanings in business DefinitionColor is all around us, yet it’s rare that we ever stop and truly examine what…
Arabic bread, Syrian bread, Lebanese bread, Pita, Pitta Bread, Pitka, Pide Bread, Pite DefinitionIn Greek, pita is called Pitta and also called Lebanese bread, Arabic bread or Syrian bread.…
Quail Egg, coturnix quail, Migratory Quail DefinitionAs the name suggests, quail eggs are the eggs laid by several species of quail, which are in…
Pumpernickel Bread – Health Benefits of Pumpernickel Bread DefinitionPumpernickel is a heavy and slightly sweet rye bread which is made with coarsely ground rye and sourdough…
Frog Leg – Health Benefits of Frog legs DefinitionThe frog is a member of a carnivorous group of short-bodied and tailless amphibians in the…

Read, save, and share this guide

Article Summary

Key Takeaways

RX Patient Tools