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Beilschmiedia madang (Blume) Blume
| Family Name: | Lauraceae |
Beilschmiedia madang is a tree native to Singapore that can grow up to 30 m tall. It produces small, pale yellow to pale yellowish-brown flowers and ellipsoid, fleshy fruits that turn dark blue to black when ripe. The fruit stalk is slender to slightly swollen and red when mature. Its timber is used for construction.
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Tree |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Maximum Height | 30 m |
Biogeography
| Native Distribution | Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
| Local Conservation Status | Native to Singapore (Vulnerable (VU)) |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a tree, up to 30 m tall, with buttresses, up to 1.5 m. The trunk can reach up to 40 cm diameter. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are broadly elliptic to obovate, measuring 8 – 25 cm long and 3 – 12 cm wide. They have a leathery texture and in alternate arrangement. Each leaf has 7 – 18 pairs of lateral veins. The leaf tip is rounded to acute while the leaf base is rounded to cuneate, sometimes unequal. The leaf margin is flat to recurved. The upper surface is glabrous to sparsely hairy at base whereas the underside is glabrous to sparsely hairy, with more hairs along the veins. The hairs are reddish brown. The leaf stalk (petiole) is slender to slight swollen, measuring 0.5 – 3 cm long. The young leaves are observed to flush reddish upon emergence and gradually turn green as they mature. The terminal leaf bud is lanceolate to ovate, measuring 0.3 – 0.65 cm long and covered with short, erect, curly, dark reddish-brown hairs. |
| Flowers | The flowers occur in a cluster (panicle) in the axils. Each inflorescence is 2 – 15 cm long. The flowers are small (about 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide), pale yellow to pale yellowish-brown, and sparsely hairy to velutinous. Each flower has 6 lobes, 9 stamens, one ovary, a 0.5 – 0.6 mm long style and an obtuse stigma. |
| Fruit | The fruit is ellipsoid (about 2.5 cm long), green when unripe and turning dark blue or black when ripe. The fruit stalk is slender to slightly swollen and red when mature. |
| Habitat | It is found in rainforests, including swamp forests, to montane forests, up to 1000 m altitude. |
| Associated Fauna | Flowers are pollinated by insect and fruits are likely dispersed by animals. |
| Cultivation | It can be propagated by seed. |
| Etymology | The genus epithet commemorates Karl Traugott Beilschmied (1793-1848), a chemist and botanist who contributed to plant geography. The specific epithet is from the Malay name, medang. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Timber & Products: It produces timber, known as Medang, which is used for house construction. |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) |
|---|---|
| Seed or Spore Dispersal | Biotic (Fauna) |
Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
Foliar
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Leathery |
| Prominent Young Flush Colour(s) | Red |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | |
| Foliar Venation | Reticulate |
| Foliar Margin | Entire |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Acute, Rounded |
| Foliar Base | Cuneate, Rounded / Obtuse, Oblique / Asymmetrical |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Root Type | Underground |
|---|
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Bisexual Flowers |
| Flower Colour(s) | Yellow / Golden, Cream / Off-White |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
| Flower Location | Axillary |
| Inflorescence Type | Panicle |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Black |
|---|---|
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
| Fruit Type | Fleshy Fruit |
| Seed Quantity Per Fruit | Few (1-5) |
References
| References | de Kok, R. P. J. (2016) A revision of Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) of Peninsular Malaysia. Blumea 61 (2): 147–164 Kochummen, K.M. (1989). Lauraceae. In: Ng, F.S.P. (ed.) Tree Flora of Malaya, vol. 4, pp. 98–178. Kuala Lumpur: Longman Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. |
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Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 33835 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 8251 |
| 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. |