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Baccaurea brevipes

Name

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

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Growth Form Tree (Medium (16m-30m))
Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial

Biogeography

Native Distribution Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Borneo
Native Habitat Terrestrial
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 18 m tall with a slender crown.
Trunk Bark is fissured and finely ridged.
Foliage Its alternate, long-stalked leaves have papery leaf blades that are oval to drop-shaped, finely velvety below, and 15–36 by 6.2–14 cm, with tapered bases.
Flowers Its male flowers are yellowish-green, 1.5–3 mm wide, and found in clusters up to 18 cm long. Its female flowering clusters have pink branches, are up to 23 cm long, and bear 5–7 mm-wide female flowers.
Fruit Its round fruits are 10–19 mm-wide berries found in hanging strings up to 30 cm long from the trunk. They also ripen from waxy white to rose-pink, and contain one to three seeds embedded in blue pulp. Its ovoid seeds are laterally flattened, and 6–8 mm wide.
Habitat It grows in primary and secondary rainforests on sandy loam, and seasonal swamp forests, up to 700 m altitude. It occurs locally in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Associated Fauna Its flowers are insect-pollinated. Its fruits are consumed by mammals which disperse the seeds.
Cultivation It can be propagated by seed.
Etymology Latin bacca, berry; Latin aurea, golden, so named from the golden colour of the berries; Latin brevis, short; Latin pes, a foot, the reference to which is unsure
Ethnobotanical Uses Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits
Food (Fruit or Vegetable)
Others: The fruit is edible but insipid. The wood is used in house building but is not resistant to insects. An extract of the leaves is used to regulate menstruation.

Landscaping Features

Landscape Uses Suitable for Roadsides, Parks & Gardens

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference Full Sun
Water Preference Lots of Water, Moderate Water, Little Water
Plant Growth Rate Moderate
Rootzone Tolerance Drought Tolerant, Moist Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils
Propagation Method Seed

Foliar

Mature Foliage Texture(s) Papery

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower Colour(s) Green - Light Green

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s) Pink

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID 29692
Species ID 4001
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: 22 February 2022.
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