Salingbobog
Crateva religiosa · Sacred garlic pear
- Names in the book
- Salig̃bobog, Tag.; Balay-namuk, Iloc.
- Colours
- flowerwhite, creamstamenspurple
- Native range
- India through Southeast Asia to the Pacific
- In the Philippines, per the book
- Blanco has seen the plant growing in Ilocos and Imus.
- Family
- Capparaceae, filed in the book under Capparidaceæ
- Printed as
- Cratæva religiosa, Forst.
- Sources
- Page 32 on Project Gutenberg · Wikipedia
The plant today
Crateva religiosa, the sacred garlic pear or temple plant, is a species of flowering tree. It is a member of the capers family. The tree is sometimes called the spider tree because the showy flowers bear long, spidery stamens. It is native to much of tropical Asia and several South Pacific islands. It is grown elsewhere for fruit, especially in parts of Africa. The garlic pear tree is a perennial that can grow up to 15 m (49 ft). The nectar-filled flowers are attractive to a multitude of insects and birds. A pierid butterfly, Hebomoia glaucippe, is a frequent visitor to this plant.
Excerpt from “Crateva religiosa” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Recorded in the Philippines
GBIF holds 27 records of this plant from the Philippines. The ones with map coordinates fall in 2 provinces: Palawan (8), Cavite (1).
Counts from GBIF occurrence records, October 2026. They include planted trees and garden plants, and a province with no records may only lack collectors.
What the 1901 book says
A historical record, quoted as printed. Doses and remedies here are not medical advice.
Uses
It is in common use in India as a tonic and stomachic. It seems also to possess laxative and diuretic properties. In Concan the juice of the leaves mixed with cocoanut oil is used as a liniment in rheumatism.
[table omitted; see the source text]
Dose
50–100 grams a day as a tonic or stomachic.
Botanical description
A shrub 15–20° high with compound trifoliate leaves with long petioles; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate, smooth, dark green. Calyx of 4 imbricated sepals. Corolla of 4 unguiculate petals, between white and straw color, 1′ long. Stamens indefinite, violet-colored. Ovary unilocular, many-ovuled. Berry spherical with many seeds buried in pulp.
Recent research
The most cited papers since 2022 that name this plant in the title, pulled from Europe PMC in October 2026. Titles are the authors' own and the findings have not been reviewed here.
- In vitro antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and antiproliferative activities of methanol extracts of Crateva religiosa bark
- Therapeutic role of Crateva religiosa in diabetic nephropathy: Insights into key signaling pathways
- Assessment of the Anti-adipogenic Effect of Crateva religiosa Bark Extract for Molecular Regulation of Adipogenesis: In Silico and In Vitro Approaches for Management of Hyperlipidemia Through the 3T3-L1 Cell Line