A tree growing 3 to 5 ft high. Leaves are broadly ovate, 3 to 6 inches long, with pointed tips and heart-shaped bases. Flowers are pink, borne on panicles 6-12inches long, terminating the branches. Fruit is thin-walled, inflated capsule. Kleinhovia hospita is used as a traditional medicine in parts of Malaya, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to treat scabies. The bark and leaves used as hairwash for lice, while the juice of the leaves are used as an eyewash. Young leaves are eaten as a vegetable.
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