Name
Classifications and Characteristics
Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) |
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Plant Growth Form | Tree (Small (6m-15m)), Shrub |
Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
Plant Shape | Irregular |
Maximum Height | 10 m |
Biogeography
Native Distribution | From India, south China, throughout Southeast Asia. |
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Native Habitat | Terrestrial (Primary Rainforest, Inland Cliff, Coastal Forest) |
Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
Growth Form | It is a shrub or small tree, up to 10 m tall. |
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Foliage | Its alternate, stalked, pinnate leaves have 1–4 pairs of leaflets. Its stalked leaflets have papery leaf blades that are oval or egg-shaped and 5–40 by 1–15 cm. |
Flowers | Its branched flowering shoot is hairy and 1.5–25 cm long. It bears short-stalked flowers, without petals or with up to 3 petals. |
Fruit | Its stalked fruits are red, 7–20 mm long, and glabrous to sparsely hairy. They also have lobes that are egg-shaped to ellipsoid, and round to faintly 3-angled in cross section. Its seeds are round to ellipsoid and 7 mm long. |
Habitat | It grows in primary and secondary forests up to 1,600 m altitude. It occurs locally in the vicinity of MacRitchie Reservoir, and Pulau Ubin. |
Associated Fauna | Its flowers are insect-pollinated. |
Cultivation | It can be propagated by seed. |
Etymology | Greek mischos, stalk; Greek karpos, fruit, referring to the stalked fruit; Latin sundaicus, of the Sunda Islands, referring to one locality in the natural distribution of this species |
Ethnobotanical Uses | Medicinal: A decoction of the root is used for cough. Timber & Products: Its wood is used as charcoal. |
Landscaping Features
Landscaping | It is suitable for parks and gardens for its small stature and attractive fruits. |
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Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Fruits |
Landscape Uses | General, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Coastal |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) |
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Plant Care and Propagation
Light Preference | Full Sun, Semi-Shade |
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Water Preference | Moderate Water |
Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
Rootzone Tolerance | Moist Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils |
Propagation Method | Seed |
Foliar
Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
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Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Leathery |
Foliar Type | Compound |
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Oval, Elliptical) |
Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
Foliar Margin | Entire |
Floral (Angiosperm)
Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
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Fruit, Seed and Spore
Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Red |
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Mature Fruit Texture(s) | Smooth, Hairy / Hirsute |
Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
Fruit Type |
Image Repository
Others
Master ID | 31326 |
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Species ID | 5723 |
Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |