Mamala

Homalanthus nutans, known locally as the mamala tree, is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. In Australia it is known as the bleeding heart and the Queensland poplar. It is a small tree or bushy shrub with fairly smooth, greyish-brown bark and stout green or reddish branches, whose twigs exude a white, milky sap when damaged. The leaves are hairless, heart-shaped or triangular, with a greyish underside, and mature leaves turn red as they age. The inflorescence is a terminal yellowish-green spike, with separate male and female flowers. It is native to tropical Pacific islands, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, and grows in north-eastern Australia. It is a pioneer species, found in woodland and on roadside verges, readily colonising disturbed ground. Samoan healers use the tree's bark in a concoction made to treat hepatitis. Research has indicated that a chemical from the bark called prostratin has in vitro activity against HIV.