Ficus benghalensis

Ficus benghalensis

Life stage-characteristic

Plant Growth Form : Tree

Foliar

                 Mature Foliage Colour(s) : Green

Leaf Area Index (LAI) * for Green Plot Ratio : 3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)

Fruit, seeds, and spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s) [Angiosperms & Gymnosperms] : Orange

Plant care and propagation

Light Preference : Full Sun

Water Preference : Moderate Water

Adenanthera pavonina L.

Adenanthera pavonina L.




Family Name : Fabaceae (Leguminosae)  
Common Names : Saga, Coral Bean Tree, Daun Tumpul, Suga, Redwood, Red Sandalwood Tree, Peacock Flower Fence, Barbados Pride, Coral Pea, Red Bead Tree, Circassian Bean, Coralwood.

Life stage-characteristic

Plant Division : Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)

Plant Growth Form : Tree (Medium (16m-30m))

Lifespan (in Singapore) : Perennial

Mode of Nutrition : Autotrophic

Plant Shape : IrregularMaximum 

Height : 15 m to 25 m

Description and ethnobotany

Plant Morphology 

Growth Form: Medium-sized leguminous tree, up to 25m height, with somewhat irregularly rounded crown. Trunk slightly buttressed, with greyish-brown bark.

Foliage: Leaves bipinnately-compound with 2-6 pairs of secondary stalks. Individual leaflets oblong, thin and pale green with unequally-sided base, 9-15 pairs on each secondary stalk. Species is deciduous, shedding leaves for brief periods every 6-8 months in Singapore.

Flowers: Small (2mm), star-shaped, mature from white to creamy yellow to dull orange, held in 7-15cm raceme inflorescences at tips of new shoots. Flowers open from base to tip of inflorescence, faintly scented like orange blossoms. Tree blooms throughout year, peaking in May.

Fruits: Seedpods pods thin and curved, ripeing from green to woody black and coiling up before splitting to release 8-12 seeds. Seeds shiny scarlet red, hard, lens-shaped, with faint "heart line" around margin, eaten and dispersed by birds.

Habitat: Found in coastal forests on rocky headlands and islets. Also frequently found along roads and around human settlements.

Conservation Status: Exotic species naturalized in Singapore. Found growing wild at wastelands and open ground.Associated Fauna : Host plant of the Plain Nawab (Polyura hebe lautus)

Cultivation : Hardy, fast growing and low-maintenance. Prefers well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soils. Propagate by seeds -- scarify by filing or nicking, and soak in water for a while before sowing.

Etymology : Genus epithet 'Adenanthera' derived from Greek terms ‘aden’ (sticky gland) and ‘anthera’ (anthers), referring to tree's flower anthers being tipped with sticky glands. Species epithet pavonina came from Latin word ‘pavo’, meaning peacock-blue.

Ethnobotanical Uses : Edible Plant Parts ( (Edible Leaves; Edible Seeds)) Food ( (Fruit & Vegetable; Herb & Spice)) Edible Plant Parts (Edible Leaves; Edible Seeds), Medicinal, Timber & Products, Cultural / Religious ( Heritage Tree There is currently one individual of Adenanthera pavonina listed as a Heritage Tree in Singapore. It can be found in Singapore Botanic Gardens, near the Lady on a Hammock sculpture. To find out more about this tree, please visit the Heritage Tree Register.

)

Food: Roasted or boiled seeds eaten with rice in Java. Young leaves cooked and eaten during famine.

Medicinal: Ground up seeds used to relieve headaches and rheumatism, as well as treat boils. Uncooked seeds (though toxic) have been used as intoxicant.

Timber: Wood hard and reddish, called red sandalwood, used to build cabinets, furniture, wood ornaments and houses, or as fuel.

Products: Powdered wood provide a source of red dye, used by Brahmins in India to mark the forehead. Seeds used to make necklaces. Due to relatively uniform weight (4 seeds weigh about 1g), seeds also used in India and Sri Lanka for centuries to weigh gold and silver -- every seed is said to weigh exactly the same, although this is not true. Locally used as fill for tetrahedral bags used in children's game of 'five-stones'. 

Culture: Malaysia's first national car Proton Saga is named after this plant. Seeds frequently called and collected in bottles as "love beans", but the latter actually refers to the similar-looking red-black (and very toxic) seeds of Abrus precatorius (Rosarypea).

Landscaping feature

Desirable Plant Features : Ornamental Seeds, Fragrant (Flowers: Day; [Remarks]: Flowers have faint orange blossom scent.)

Plant & Rootzone Preference/Tolerance : Well-Drained Soils, Saline Soils / Salt Spray, Acidic (low pH) 

SoilsLandscape Uses : General, Roadside Tree / Palm, Shade Providing Tree / PalmThematic 

Landscaping : Naturalistic Garden, Butterfly Garden

Usage Hazards / Cons : Toxic Upon Ingestion, [Remarks] (Raw seeds are poisonous upon ingestion.)

Fauna, pollination and dispersal

Associated Fauna : Bird-Attracting, Caterpillar Food Plant (Associated with: Polyura hebe plautus (Fruhstorfer, 1898))

Seed / Spore Dispersal : Biotic (Fauna) (Associated with: Aaptos suberitoides, Seeds dispersed by birds), Abiotic (Explosive Dehiscence)

Plant care and propagation

Light Preference : Full Sun

Water Preference : Moderate WaterPlant 

Growth Rate : FastMaintenance 

Requirements : Low

Propagation Method : Seed, Stem Cutting

Propagule Establishment Remarks : Scarify seeds by filing or nicking them before soaking them in water for a short while.

Cyrtostachys renda

Cyrtostachys renda Blume 

Family Name:  Arecaceae (Palmae)

Synonyms:  Cyrtostachys lakka

Common Names: Sealing-wax Palm, Pinang Rajah, Maharajah Palm, Lipstick Palm, Red Sealing Wax

Life stage-characteristic

Plant Division : Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Monocotyledon)

Plant Growth Form : Palm (Cluster Palm)

Lifespan (in Singapore) : Perennial

Mode of Nutrition : Autotrophic

Maximum Height :12 m

Description and ethnobotany

Plant Morphology 

Growth Form: A clumping palm, up to 12 m tall, with characteristically bright red leaf sheaths (each about 60 cm long) around the stems. Naturally growing in swamps and highly tolerant of flooding. Cultivated as an ornamental palm for its attractive bright red stems and leaf stalks.

Foliage: Leaves, measuring about 1.5 m long and 0.6 m wide, have bright red stalks and mid-ribs and are pinnate and alternately-arranged. Each leaf consists of leaflets that are boat-shaped, slightly grey on the underside and about 45 cm long and 4 cm wide.

Crown Shaft: Crown shaft is distinctively red in colour.

Flowers: Its branched flowering shoot is first green before turning to red, with two large spathes (modified leaves) that are 60 cm by 60 cm. Flowers are pollinated by bees.
Fruits: Its tiny one-seeded fruits are ellipsoidal in shape, 8-10 by 4-5 mm.

          Habitat : It grows near the sea, by tidal rivers, and in freshwater or peat swamp forests.

          Associated Fauna : Its flowers are pollinated by insects. The fruits are eaten by birds. It is the host-plant for the moth species Parasa lepida.

         Cultivation : Preferring rich loamy soil, that has to be kept moist as this palm is not drought-tolerant, quickly withering with water stress. Suitable for garden, parks and roadside planting. Also can be grown at the edges of ponds or reservoirs as it is tolerant of water-logged conditions. The outer wood of the stem is hard and used to make darts. This palm is also the symbol of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

          Etymology : Greek cyrtos, curved, Greek, stachys, spike, referring to the curved inflorescence, Ethnobotanical Uses .

          Others: The hard outer wood of the stem is used to make darts. This palm is the symbol of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Landscaping feature

Landscaping : 

Its bright scarlet leaf sheaths make this palm one of the most attractive of palms. It is an

ornamental palm suitable for gardens, parks, roadsides and around the edges of ponds and

water bodies.

Desirable Plant Features : 

Ornamental Foliage, Ornamental Stems, Ornamental Form.

Plant & Rootzone Preference/Tolerance : 

Moist Soils, Waterlogged Soils (Drains Site; Does not Drain

 Site), Fertile Loamy Soils, Heavy Clay Soils.

Landscape Uses: 

General, Roadside Tree / Palm, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Hedge / 

 Screening, Riverine, Pond / Lake / River, Marsh / Bog, Focal Plant.

Fauna, pollination and dispersal

Associated Fauna : Bird-Attracting (Fruits), Caterpillar (Moth) Food Plant.

Pollination Method(s) : Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Bee)).

Seed / Spore Dispersal :Biotic (Fauna)

Plant care and propagation

Light Preference : Full Sun, Semi-Shade.

Water Preference : Lots of Water, Moderate Water.

Propagation Method : Seed, Sucker, Division .