Month: November 2010

Flacourtia rukam
Previously family Flacourtiaceae
rukam

Difficult family to define because of minute variations in flower structure. Scattered throughout Malaya in rain forest, occasionally cultivated. Fruits edible, made more palatable by rubbing between the hands, but best cooked.

Atalantia monophylla

merlimau, limau hantu

India, Burma, Siam, Malaya. Common on rocky and sandy coasts from
Penang northward and all east coast. Thorns and notched leaf tip distinguish
it from Suregada sp. In habit looks much like Citrus, leaves
standing obliquely erect.

Burkillanthus malaccensis

I H Burkill, 1870- 1965, director Singapore Botanic Gardens. Small tree to 12m, one sp in Malaya & Sumatra. Large fruits, thin peel rough with oil glands. Fr Rimba Ilmu 2011.

Citrus aurantiifolia var. microcarpa

limau kasturi

Up to 4m. small fruits used for juice. These planted in memory of
Hj. Kasturi Hj. Idris.

Citrus hystrix

limau purut

Leaf blade 1 -2″ long, almost as wide, slightly toothed: leaf
stalk widely winged, as to appear like the other half of a blade divided
in two. Fruit has wrinkled skin, used for ritual bathing. Rind used
in ubat jamu to drive away evil spirits, worms in children and headache.
Leaf an essential ingredient in cooking.

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Citrus sp.

limau purut

This unidentified hybrid is more hardy than the common limau purut,
but retains the strong pungency of leaves and fruit, and produces
excellent juice.

Clausena excavata
semeruIndia, S. China, Malesia, common especially to north and at edge of
forest. Small tree, laxly branched and spreading, branches ending
in tassels of long slender leaves. Crushed twigs have a nauseous smell
of resin & lime, loose bunches of pink or whitish berries.

Glycosmis pentaphylla
kemotak, kenapehCommon village shrub from Perak & Kuantan to north. Sprawling
evergreen, crushed leaves smell lemony. Small white flowers, axillary
panicles. Fruit edible & sweet but resinous.

Limonia acidissima

belinggai, gelinggai

India, Burma. Common in Perlis villages, needs monsoonal climate to
fruit, slow growth and fruiting, brown pulp edible but resinous.

Triphasia trifolia

limau kingkip, bird lime

Philippines, China? Indifferent fruit, but used to be boiled by Malays
in sugar syrup. Useful small timber, good for hedging.

Aidia wallichiana

menterbang

Malaya, Andamans, Sumatra, Borneo. Througout Malaya, lowland to mountain forest, also on limestone. Showy fragrant inflorescence. Two planted on corners of plaza 07.

Anthocephalus chinensis
kelempayan,
kelampai

Deciduous monopodial to 30m, stiff outstanding limbs, drooping at ends. Common in secondary forest & on river banks. Branches in alternating pairs like mangosteen. Minute seeds, <1mm. Flowers in stalked round bur-like heads, but each flower separate from others.

Gardenia carinata
mentiong Kedah

Thailand, throughout Malaya, common in north. Small tree to 15m. Leaves obovate, lower surface hairy. Flowers solitary or clustered, calyx tube shields a third of the corolla tube.

Gardenia pterocalyx

mentiong

Small tree found in swampy habitat, at Tasek Bera, gelam forest in Trengganu and at G. Ulu Kali. Calyx tube with 7-10 narrow wings, fruits with wings down from calyx cup.

Gardenia tubifera
mentiong

Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Thailand. Throughout Malaya in lowland and hill forests. Terminalian branching, shoots often resinous. Flowers solitary, calyx tube truncate, corolla tube length variable, opens white turning orange. Fruits split to expose seeds in orange pulp.

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Ixora scortechinii

pecah periok/piring/pasu, jenjarum

120 spp, generally tropical, 20 spp in Malaya. Flowers in clusters at branch ends, long corolla tube, 4 spreading petals. Attracts butterflies. 2 new specimens December 2007.

Timonius wallichianus

triang, silver timon

Sumatra, Banka, Riouw, Anambas. In secondary lowland forest up to 500m. Lower leaf surface completely covered by silvery appressed hairs. Flowers unisexual, plants dioecious. 160 spp from Sri Lanka to Pacific, 14 spp in Malaya.

Xanthophyllum sp.
minyak berok

Genus of about 60 spp., from India to Solomon Islands; W. Malesia development epicentre for genus. 21spp. in Malaya, inland in primary forest, fairly common in understorey. Flowers infrequently, possibly triggered by dry periods.

Dacrycarpus imbricatus

podo cucur atap

Indo-China, Thailand, Malesia; mountain forests (2,500-6,000ft). Kedah, Pahang, Perak, Selangor. Crown conical or cylindrical, leaves 2 forms awl-shaped or linear blade) Seed globose, back
ribbed, and slightly beaked. 2 new specimens June 2008.

Podocarpus neriifolius
podo bukit

Not distinguishable from P. polystachus (podo laut) except from habitat.
From Kedah to Fiji. Of conifers, there are 3 gen. and 12 spp. in Malaya,
compared with 50 gen. and 550 spp. worldwide.

Podocarpus phyllocladus

Leaves alternate or spiral. Cones dioecious. Genera mainly in S. hemisphere, 100 spp., 6 in Malaya, this a very rare endemic from Sabah. 1 specimen Dec 2007.

Antidesma coriaceum

mempunai, kayu mata punai

Genus of distinctive shrubs and small trees, common all over Malaya, name refers to use in India as anti-snake venom. In Malaya 27 spp of 170, most in Asia. This sp. common, fruit a juicy red or black drupe with thin pitted stone.

Antidesma ghaesembilla

guncak, balong ayam (Penang)

Treelet to 6m, Malacca-Pekan northwards. Often by rivers, or in open, usually secondary, forest. Lowlands to 1200m. Most trees male or female. Edible fruit & leaves, but acid, used medicinally. 1 fr TH 11/09.

Antidesma salicinum

mempunai

Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo. Flood resistant shrub along fast streams, adapted to open conditions. burkill says many in genera have edible shoots and fleshy fruits, many with medicinal properties. Name refers to use in India for anti-snake venom. This from Rimba Ilmu 11/06.

Baccaurea brevipes
rambai tikus

Throughout Malaya, Borneo. Small tree, seldom more than 9m. Common in lowland forest, often near rivers, occasionally in seasonal swamps. Leaves elliptic ovate, long tapering. Fruits round, 17mm diam. Seeds with translucent white pulp.

Baccaurea kunstleri

jintek bukit

Siam, N and E Borneo, Kelantan, Trengganu, Selangor southwards. Lowland forest, uncommon. To 20m, steeply buttresses, fruits to 25mm, splitting, seed jacket cream.

Baccaurea lanceolata

asam pahong

Sumatra, Siam, Java, Borneo. Malaya, mainly to south. Common small to medium trees, lowland rainforest. Terminalia branching, distinctive, big elliptic leaves. Fruits clustered w/translucent, juicy, sour, edible jacket. Trees monoecious.

Baccaurea motleyana
rambai

Thailand, peninsula Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo. Fruits popular. Sap from bark treats sore eyes, sometimes used with leaves of Mimusops elengi.

Baccaurea ramiflora
pupor

Genera description: Leaves spirally arranged, simple. Flowers tiny, yellow/green in unbranched spikes drooping from branch/trunk. Fruit medium to large berry. Male and female flowers on separate trees; rambai and pupor the only spp. cultivated, 21 spp. in Malaya, lowland.

Baccaurea sumatrana

jintek-jintek

Malaya, Sumatra, Banka, Borneo. Medium tree to 30m. Fruits ovoid, 10mm long yellowish with thin wall, seed jacket orange, fruiting racemes 8cm amongst the leaves.

Glochidion superbum

ubah

Siam, Malaya, Sumatra, Banka, Borneo. Common in primary & secondary lowland forest, straggling shrubs, leaves big, base heart shaped, velvety below. Fruit stalked woody capsule, seeds smooth often with thin fleshy red or orange skin.

Phyllanthus acidus

cermai, Malay gooseberry

One species, cultivated, origin unknown. Common village tree, especially in north. Fruits cooked as a sour flavouring or acar; root is medicinal but poisonous: boiled and steam inhaled for cough, weak infusion drunk for asthma.