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plants text index | photo
index
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| coastal plants |
| Mata
pelandok or
Seashore ardisia Ardisia elliptica Family Myrsinaceae updated Nov 10 Where seen? This shrub with pink star-shaped flowers, and colourful leaves and berries is now widely planted in our coastal parks. In the wild, it is found in tidal swamps, muddy and sandy river banks of tidal estuaries, usually in places only occasionally flooded at the highest tides. It was previously known as Ardisia littoralis. Features: A shrub growing to 5m tall, with a single stem producing short perpendicular branches. Leaves (10cm long) leathery with veins hardly visible, arranged in a spiral. Young leaves somewhat pinkish. Twigs are swollen at the base and easily detached. Flowers small (1cm across) star-shaped, with five petals white or pink, in a cluster of 6-8 flowers. Fruit small (0.5-1cm) red berries ripening to black. 'Mata pelandok' in Malay means 'Eye of the mousedeer' probably referring to its ripe black fruits. It is also called 'Mata ayam' or 'Eye of the chicken' and 'Mata itek' or 'Eye of the duck'. According to Tomlinson, from the structure of the flowers and the fact that these produce nectar and a fragrance, the plant seems to be pollinated by insects. But there are no records of flower visitors. It is said that birds and other small fruit-eating mammals eat the fruits. Human uses: According to Burkill, the young shoots were eaten in the Malay Peninsula. Medicinal uses include boiled leaves or roots used to treat heartache. Another Malay name is 'Daun bisa hati' or 'Heartache Leaf'. According to Wee, the Malays use a decoction of the leaves to treat heart pain. According to Giersen, the leaves are used to treat scabies and intestinal worms. |
 Probably a wild plant. Pulau Ubin, Jul 09 |
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 Pulau Ubin, Jul 09 |
 Pulau Ubin, May 09 |
 Probably a wild plant. |
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 Pulau Semakau, Jun 05  Probably a wild plant. |
 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Sep 09 
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more photos of mata pelandok on Singapore shores
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Links
References
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Singapore University Press. 222 pp.|
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