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Lagerstroemia floribunda

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Lagerstroemia floribunda Jack

Family Name: Lythraceae
Synonyms: Lagerstroemia turbinata
Common Name: Malayan Crape Myrtle, Thai Crape Myrtle, Tropical Crape Myrtle, Late Crepe-Myrtle, Queen's Flower, Kedah Bungor, Bungur, Antri Gajah

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form Tree (Medium (16m-30m), Small (6m-15m))
Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial
Mode of Nutrition Autotrophic
Plant Shape Oval
Maximum Height 4 m to 25 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution Indochina (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand), Peninsular Malaysia
Native Habitat Terrestrial (Secondary Rainforest, Monsoon Forest)
Preferred Climate Zone Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form Small to medium-sized tree, with dense bushy, oval to conical-rounded crown, usually 4 - 25 m height.
Foliage Mature leaves dark green and leathery; young leaves coppery-red. Stipules present in leaf axils. Tree is relatively evergreen in wet tropical regions like Singapore, but semi-deciduous in monsoonal areas, where seasonal young foliar flushes are more extensive and pronounced.
Flowers Tree blooms a few times per year, producing erect terminal panicle-inflorescences up to 50cm in height. Individual flowers (3 cm across) have ribbed scruffy-brown calyxes (fused sepals) and flower buds. Velvety crinkled petals fade from rich mauve to pale pink to creamy-white with age, making tree appear to produce flowers of different colours all over the crown.
Fruit Small oblong dehiscent woody capsules borne on branched infructescences, maturing from green to brown, before splitting to disperse abundant small dark brown seeds.
Others - Plant Morphology Bark: Flakes off in plates to reveal greyish-cream-brown patches.
Habitat Open secondary tropical and monsoon riverine gallery forests.
Cultivation Prefers well-drained, humus-rich soils with ample moisture. Extreme drought stress may cause leaf-burn and inhibit blooming. Best to grow at wind-sheltered sunny sites, as shaded moist leaves may be prone to powdery mildew. Propagate by seeds or stem cuttings. Seeds have short viability, so sow as fresh as possible. Rooting hormone can be used to promote the otherwise difficult striking of stem cuttings.
Etymology Genus epithet 'Lagerstroemia' named by Linnaeus (father of modern taxonomy) in honour of his friend Magnus von Lagerstroem (1691-1759), a Swedish merchant (and director of the Swedish East Indies Company), as well as avid naturalist who sent collected specimens of a related species, Lagerstroemia indica to Linnaeus. Species epithet 'floribunda' means 'producing many flowers', a reference to the profuse infloresences.
Ethnobotanical Uses Others: Medicinal: Used to treat fever and myalgia. Regional Myth: Corpse of the last shaman (magician) in Perak, Malaya was disposed of by being placed amongst the branches of a Lagerstroemia floribunda tree between 1870 and 1875, and legend relates that he became a tiger with a white patch.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Trunk
Landscape Uses Suitable for Roadsides, General
Thematic Landscaping Naturalistic Garden

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Seed or Spore Dispersal Abiotic (Explosive Dehiscence)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference Full Sun
Water Preference Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate Moderate
Rootzone Tolerance Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Maintenance Requirements Moderate
Diseases Shaded moist leaves may be affected by powdery mildew. Treat with fungicides or use mildew-resistant varieties.
Pest(s) Associated with
Propagation Method Seed, Stem Cutting
Propagule Establishment Remarks Seeds tend to have short viability. Cuttings strike with difficulty.

Foliar

Foliage Retention Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s) Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s) Smooth, Glossy / Shiny, Leathery, Raised / Sunken Veins, Thick
Foliar Type Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem Opposite
Foliar Shape(s) Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical, Oblong)
Foliar Venation Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip Obtuse
Foliar Base Rounded / Obtuse, Cordate
Typical Foliar Area Mesophyll ( 45cm2 - 182.25 cm2 )
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio 3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)
Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) Remarks Red, Coppery-red

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Non Palm) Woody
Bark Colour(s) Grey-cream-brown
Mature Bark Texture Peeling / Flaking / Papery, Smooth
Stem Type & Modification Woody
Root Type Underground (Tap Root, Fibrous Root)
Mature Bark Texture Remarks Smooth bark flakes off in small plates to give mosaic of greyish-cream and brown patches.

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s) Pink, Purple, White
Flower Symmetry Radial
Flower Size - Remarks 2.5 cm across, 6 petals, borne on terminal panicles 40cm long
Inflorescence Type Panicle
Flowering Habit Polycarpic
Inflorescence Size Remarks Flowers fade from bright mauve to pale pink to white with age.
Flowering Period Remarks Several times per year

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s) Brown
Fruit Classification Simple Fruit
Fruit Type Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Capsule

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID 1695
Species ID 2988
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.
Species record last updated on: 26 August 2021.
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