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Family Lamiaceae

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Clerodendrum bungei (Previously Clerodendron bungei in Family Verbenaceae)
China. Cultivated. Many tropical species from this genera are attributed with spiritual & magical properties.

Clerodendrum fragrans (Previously Clerodendron fragrans in Family Verbenaceae)
popkok rabu kambang, exhilaration tree
China. Used by Malays for rheumatism and ague, or with other substances for treating skin diseases.

Clerodendrum paniculatum (Previously Clerodendron paniculatum in Family Verbenaceae)
panggil panggil
Burma, s. China to Java, but not known in the wild. Summons spirits. One of the plants used to sprinkle tepung tawar in weddings, blessing fish stakes & ‘in the taking of the rice-soul’ (Burkill). Infusion is purgative. Elephant medicine, to protect them from harm.

Peronema canescens
(Previously in Family Verbenaceae)
sungkai
Malaya, Sumatra, Java, Borneo. Common in secondary forest and near rivers and clearings in primary forest. Small tree. Compound leaves increase in size from basal pair upwards, leaflets sessile, young leaves rich purple.

Premna foetida
(Previously in Family Verbenaceae)
buas buas
Malay peninsula, Java, Borneo. Straggling shrub, twigs and stalks finely hairy. Coastal forests, used to treat fever, asthma.

Tectona grandis
(Previously in Family Verbenaceae)
jati
India, Siam, W. Malesia to the Philippines, not wild in Malaya. Large deciduous tree, prefers open monsoon forest where a dormant period is forced by dry weather. Flowering and fruiting after new leaves emerge with wet weather.

Family Hypericaceae

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Cratoxylum arborescens
geronggang

Common except Perlis and Kedah. Burma, Sumatra, Borneo. Seasonal flowering, once or twice a year after dry weather. Greek name: kratos (strength) xulon (wood).

Cratoxylum cochinchinense
derum seluncur,
mampat

Malesia. Throughout Malaya. A variable sp. with two extremes, shrub or a large tree, ornamental. Flowers dark red to pink, bark smooth light buff, peeling off in pieces or strips as in Tristania (pelawan).

Cratoxylum formosum
mempat

Indochina, w. Malesia, Philippines. Common through Malaysia in belukar or forest. Like almond blossom, flowers after leaves fall. Flowers borne in axils of old leaves.

Family Hamamelidaceae

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Family Hamamelidaceae

Maingaya malayana

Named for A.C. Maingay (1836-69) sometime gaoler at Malacca.
Endemic to Penang Hill, Perak (Gg. Bubu) to elev. 600m., only 10 collections, all 19th century except one in 1971. Leaves entire, pinnately nerved; flowers bisexual, dense round yellow heads.

This specimen from Mr. H. Barlow, c. 1995.

Maingaya-malayana

Rhodoleia championii

kerlik

Large shrub/tree to 20m. Showy flower heads, to
15mm across, red petals; fruit to 2cm. Malaya,
esp lowlands of Selangor, on quartz dykes at
Klang Gates. Attracts birds & bees. 1 fr TH 11.09.

Family Poaceae

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Family Poaceae

Gigantochloa scortechinii
buluh galah/minyak/semantan/telor

Thailand, Malaya, all states. Culm sheaths green base, intense orange
at top, covered with irritant hairs. To 20m. Rare in primary forest,
common at margins. Uses handicrafts, chopsticks, skewers. Gr. gigantos
huge, chloa grass.

Gigantochloa-scorteccinii

Family Gentianaceae

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Family Gentianaceae

Fagraea crenulata
malabera

W. coast, in swampy ground. Med tree to 23m, 1.5m girth, crown big
leafed, open, flat topped with stiff spreading branches. Minutely
toothed leaves. Terminal inflorescence, cream flowers, corolla thick,
stamens not projecting from tube.

Fagraea fragrans
tembusu padang

Lwr. Burma, Malesia to New Guinea. In open and swampy lowlands. To
30m, terminalia branches have upturned ends. Irregular fissured bark.
Fine leafed crown, conical when young. White fragrant flowers 4 months
after dry season, then red berries, seeds dispersed by bats.

Fagraea-fragrans

Fagraea racemosa

kopi kopi

Malesia to northern Australia, Solomon Islands. Shrub to small tree, or straggling climber. Frequent in secondary forests, sometimes in wet places.

Fagraea-racemosa

Family Fagaceae

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Family Fagaceae

Castanopsis inermis

berangan

All states except Malacca. Sumatra. Fruit can be eaten after cooking. The flowers smell of rancid fat like those of wild cinnamon, their nectar attracting many insects.

Castanopsis megacarpa

gertak tangga

Common in lowlands of Malaya, except for Penang, Perlis. Borneo. Malay name from the creaking
of the house ladder, when one has been so unfortunate to have eaten
the chestnut-like but poisonous fruit. Med tree to 25m, bole hooped, buttresses rare. Stipule acorn shaped, cupules to 3″ dia covered w/close branching spines.

Lithocarpus eichleri

mempening

Perak, Selangor, Johor. Sumatra. Often in swamps. Rare.  8-15 pairs secondary nerves, tertiaries ladder like. Cupule saucer shaped.

Fr Tunas Harapan 6.2012.

Lithocarpus-eichleri

Lithocarpus elegans
mempening

India, Indo-China, Malesia. Wide ranging, variable sp., shiny fawn
leaves, glabrous, same colour on both sides. Common on degraded sites.
Distinct from Quercus by erect spikes, thick leaf stalk, entire leaf
margins.

Lithocarpus lucidus
mempening

Sumatra, Borneo, all states Malaya. Common. Lat. fr. shiny acorns
and leaves. Big tree to 50m, bole often fluted, plank buttresses.
Big acorns.

Lithocarpus-lucidus

Lithocarpus maingayi

mempening

Endemic in Malaya, in hill forest above 1,000 ft. Cupule completely encloses fruit. Fr Tunas Harapan 6.2012

Lithocarpus-maingayi

Lithocarpus rassa
rasa

Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo. To 25m, but shorter with increasing altitude. Leaf blade 1-5″ long; fruit spikes up to 3″ long; cup half inch wide, broader than long. From mountains to coast.

Lithocarpus-rassa
Lithocarpus-rassa-leaf

Lithocarpus wallichianus
mempening

Gr. lithos-stone, carpos-fruit. Big tree, Peninsula Siam, Malaya, Sumatra. Flat cup shaped fruit encases acorn. Distinguished from Quercus by erect spikes, leaf stalk thickening, entire leaf margins, bisexual inflorescences.

Lithocarpus-wallichianus-2
Lithocarpus-wallichianus-3

Quercus gemelliflora

mempening

Lat. oak. Sumatra, Borneo, Malaya exc. Perlis. Terminal buds in rows of scales, leaves spiral margin toothed, esp. towards apex. 400 spp. in tropics and north temp., Malaya 8 spp. This sp. underside of leaves glabrous. Tree to 30m. Bole oft. fluted & hooped. 2m buttresses steep & thick.

Quercus-gemeliflora

Quercus spp.
mempening

Oak, 400spp world wide, 8 in Malaya where they are forest trees that seldom reach the canopy. Distinguished by acorns.

Quercus-sp

Family Euphorbiaceae

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Botryophora geniculata
Gapis miang / putat miang
Burma, Siam, Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, Perak, Kelantan, Selangor, Pahang, Johor.
Small tree to 12m. No close relatives peculiar stamens, leaves like Sterculaiceae. Fruit woody capsule. Packed tight in a dense mass.
From Tunas Harapan 11.09

Croton argyratus
Burma to Moluku. A remarkable genus in Malaya w/ common species and others v. rare endemics. Tree to 18m, common through Malaya. Similar to balek angin, but not scurfy. (The widely cultivated garden ‘Croton’ is Codiaeum variegatum.)

Drypetes pendula
lidah lidah
Lat. hanging, leafy branches. Common in Malaya, low undulating land. Monopodial tree to 20m, 1m girth, deep dark pyramidal crown, leafy branches drooping, sinuous. Leaves lying flat, spirally attached, young in purple red tassels.

Elateriospermum tapos
perah
Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo. Copious white sticky latex in bark, leaves and fruit stalks. Long slender leaf stalk kneed at top. Bark sloughs to leave scroll-marks. Crown deeply conical, briefly deciduous. Young leaves bright red, in flushes. Edible seeds induce dizziness.

Emblica officinalis
melaka
SE Asia, frequent in villages and lowland forest. Cooked fruits eaten as a sour relish. Bark is used for tanning and dyeing. Leaves, roots and raw fruits are medicinal & rich in vitamin C. Slow growing to 20 m. Burkill states the name of the river and town is believed to have come from this tree & that origin is Sanskrit.

Pimelodendron griffithianum
perah ikan
Malaya, Borneo. Common in all states exc Perlis, Kedah and Penang. Locally abundant as in Bt. Lagong FR. To 21 m, leaves crowded at twig tips, oblong obovate suddenly narrow to protruding tip. Yellow flowers on racemes crowded on twigs behind leaves. Fruits round to 5cm, shiny green, ripening yellow, at first tipped by persistent style.