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Endocomia canarioides (King) W.J.de Wilde
| Family Name: | Myristicaceae |
| Synonyms: | Embelia ridleyi King & Gamble, Horsfieldia macrocoma (Miq.) Warb. var. canarioides (King) J.Sinclair, Horsfieldia racemosa (King) Warb., Horsfieldia canarioides (King) Warb. |
Endocomia canarioides is a tree growing from 10 - 35 m tall, native to Singapore. It has thin to papery leaves, unisexual pale green flowers and woody fruit that split upon maturity. As the only monoecious genera in the Nutmeg family, male and female flowers are produced on the same tree. Flowers are borne on an inflorescence, sparsely covered with fine grey hairs. The fruit is elliptic to elongated, yellow to purple-brown capsule and when matured, it splits to reveal a single seed covered in a red aril.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) |
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| Plant Growth Form | Tree (Big (>30m), Medium (16m-30m), Small (6m-15m)) |
| Maximum Height | 35 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a tree 10–35 m tall, exudes red sap when cut into the bark. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | Leaves are membranous to papery, elliptic to oblong with a pointed tip, dark brown when dried, 8–30 cm by 4–13.5 cm, and have 11–19 pairs of lateral veins. |
| Flowers | The species is monoecious, producing male and female flowers on the same plant. The flowers are pale green flowers, sparsely covered with grey hairs up to 0.1 mm long and arranged in 6–25 cm by 3–15 cm clusters of mostly male flowers and few female flowers. |
| Fruit | Fruit is a ellipsoid-oblong, yellow or purple brown capsule. Produced on 15 - 20 cm cluster of up to 6 fruits, each fruit is 4.5-7 cm long, 2.5–3.5 cm wide, splits to reveal the single-seed covered in a red aril. The seed is ellipsoid-oblong, 4–5 cm long, with a purplish brownish variegated seed coat. |
| Habitat | It grows in evergreen bamboo forests, lowland rainforests, on flat land or hill sides up to 300 m altitude. <1> |
| Cultivation | It can be propagated by seed. |
Landscaping Features
| Landscape Uses | Parks & Gardens |
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Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun, Semi-Shade |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate to Slow |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical, Oblong) |
| Foliar Venation | Recticulate |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acuminate, Acute |
| Foliar Base | Cuneate, Rounded / Obtuse |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Stem Type & Modification | Woody |
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Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual Flowers , Monoecious |
| Flower Colour(s) | Green - Light Green |
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| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Terminal |
| Flower Symmetry | Radial |
| Flowering Habit | Polycarpic |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Brown, Yellow / Golden |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Capsule |
| Seed Quantity Per Fruit | Few (1-5) |
References
| References | <1> de Wilde, W.J.J.O (2000). Endocomia. In: de Wilde, W.J.J.O (eds). Flora Malesiana, ser. 1, Seed Plants, vol. 14, pp. 30 - 31. Leiden: Rijksherbarium. |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 32906 |
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| Species ID | 7320 |
| 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. |