The Sendudok Family is large with many kinds of herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees, but it has very few plants of economic importance and ornamental value. Their leaves are simple and opposite, usually with 3, 5 or 7 ribs rising from the top of the leafstalk. The flowers are usually pink or white. Each flower has a cup-shaped calyx with small sepals on its rim and 3, 4 or 5 petals which are free from one another. Fruits are usually berries or capsules.
Common name
:
Singapore Rhododendron
Malay name
:
Sendudok
Scientific name
:
Melastoma malabathricum
Family
:
Sendudok Family (Melastomaceae)
Description
:
This common shrub usually grows to about 1 m tall. The stems are reddish and covered with bristly scales. Leaves are narrow and pointed at both ends. Each leaf has 3 distinct ribs. Its underside has bristles and is rough to the touch.
Flowers are showy and large. They are in a short inflorescence at the end of the branch. Each flower measures 5 - 7 cm across. It has a cup-shaped green calyx with 5 narrow reddish sepals and 5 purplish petals. There are 10 stamens, 5 of them are large wth yellow stalks and curved purple heads and the other 5 with straight yellow heads.
Fruits are berry-like but they break open irregularly. Each fruit has many seeds inside a purplish pulp.
Habitat
:
This shrub is common in open places and waste grounds.
Common name
:
Hairy Clidemia
Malay name
:
Sendudok Paksa
Scientific name
:
Clidemia hirta
Family
:
Sendudok Family (Melastomaceae)
Description
:
This shrub is usually less than 2 m tall. It was introduced from South America.
Leaves are covered with soft and reddish hairs. They are elliptical or oval in outline. Each leaf has 5 ribs rising front the top of the leafstalk.
Flowers are found in small short branches growing from the leaf axils. Each flower is about 1 cm across, with a tube-shaped green calyx, 4 white petals and 8 white stamens.
Fruits are small, round, pulpy and black berries.
Habitat
:
This shrub is common in waste places and roadsides.
