Anacardium occidentaleANACARDIACEAEgajusTropical America. Decoction of bark for diabetes, diarrhoea and mouth ulcers. Decoction of leaf and root for tooth ache and washing the eyes. Young leaves eaten as ulam, but older ones and fruit poisonous unless cooked.

Andrographis paniculataACANTHACEAEhempedu bumi, bidaraIndia. Used to treat dysentry, gastroenteritis. Tonsillitis, pneumonia, infected wounds, pulmonary TB. Pain killer for snake bites.

Angiopterus evectaMARATTIACEAEpaku gajahBig stemless fern found in moist tropical Africa, Asia and eastwards through the Pacific. In Malaya a decoction of roots is used to arrest the discharge of blood after miscarriage, and the pounded plant is applied for coughs.

Archidendron jiringa / Pithecelobium jiringaLEGUMINOSAE subfamily Mimosoideae jeringBurma, Thailand, W. Malesia. Fruit eaten raw or blanched. Pounded with ginger and boiled, to eliminate bladder stones. Purple dye from pods.

Areca catechuARECACEAEpinang sireh, betelSE Asia. Widely cultivated. Seed treats diarrhea, half-ripe seed pounded for skin ointment. Mild narcotic, sliced endosperm of the seed eaten with betel leaves, lime, gambier or cutch.

Areca catechu var. albaARECACEAEpinang putihThis specimen from Dato Lim Chong Keat 6/05

Averrhoa belimbiOLAXIDACEAEbelimbing buluhMoluku? Widely cultivated throughout SE Asia. Edible sour fruit, eaten raw as ulam, & in curries to give sour taste. Leaf infusion treats cough, & as tonic after childbirth; flower infusion for cough and thrush. Leaves treat venereal and rectal disease.

Begonia equilateralisBEGONIACEA

Begonia kingianaBEGONIACEA

Begonia lengguaniiBEGONIACEA

Belamcanda chinensisIRIDACEAEleopard flowerChina. Bitter, cool, antipyretic, antitoxic, liquifies sputum. For cough and wheezing, sore throat, rice field dermatitis.

Boesenbergia plicata var. luridaZINGIBERACEAE

Boesenbergia rotundaZINGIBERACEAE temu kunciIndia and S. China (Yunnan)? Widely cultivated sp. for its key-like rhizomes that are used in Thai & Malaysian cooking. Inflorescence covered by leaf sheaths. Flowers, uniformly pink, appear one by one.

Bromheadia finlaysonianaORCHIDACEAE

Cananga odorataANNONACEAEkenangaTropical Asia to N. Australia. Cult. Ornamental. Flowers give ylang-ylang oil for hair, leaves a poultice for itch.

Carica papayaCARICACEAEbetik, papayaTropical America. Shoots can be blanched and eaten as vegetable, flowers eaten as kerabu. Treats stomachache, warts (apply sap twice a day) and high fever.

Catharanthus roseusAPOCYNACEAEkemunting cina, Madagascar periwinkleMadagascar. Contains vincristine and other alkaloids with retarding effect on leukemia. Decoction of leaves drunk to relieve menstrual pain & applied for insect bites.

Centella asiaticaUMBELLIFERAEpegagaPan tropical. Salad or ulam. To stimulate appetite, aid digestion, used to treat bowel complaints in children, sores, ulcers and skin problems.

Cinnamomum verumLAURACEAEkayu manis, cinnamonIndia. Cooking spice. Roots treat rheumatism and fever. Tree bark used in many medicinal powders and tinctures, tonics for diarrhea and colic.

Citrus aurantifolia var. microcarpaRUTACEAElimau kasturiUp to 4m. small fruits used for juice. These planted in memory of Hj. Kasturi Hj. Idris.

Citrus hystrixRUTACEAElimau purutLeaf blade 1 -2" long, almost as wide, slightly toothed: leaf stalk widely winged, as to appear like the other half of a blade divided in two. Fruit has wrinkled skin, used for ritual bathing. Rind used in ubat jamu to drive away evil spirits, worms in children and headache. Leaf an essential ingredient in cooking.

Citrus sp.RUTACEAElimau purutThis unidentified hybrid is more hardy than the common limau purut, but retains the strong pungency of leaves and fruit, and produces excellent juice.

Clerodendron bungeiVERBENACEAEChina. Cultivated. Many tropical species from this genera are attributed with spiritual & magical properties. 

Clerodendron fragransVERBENACEAEpopkok rabu kambang, exhilaration treeChina. Used by Malays for rheumatism and ague, or with other substances fro treating skin diseases.

Clerodendron paniculatumVERBENACEAEpanggil panggilBurma, s. China to Java, but not known in the wild. Summons spirits. One of the plants used to sprinkle tepung tawar in weddings, blessing fish stakes & 'in the taking of the rice-soul' (Burkill). Infusion is purgative. Elephant medicine, to protect them from harm.

Clitoria ternatea LEGUMINOSAEBrazil? Pantropic. Slender climber with pinnate leaves and pea-like solitary showy blue edible flowers, used to colour food such as sweet glutinous rice.

Costus speciosusCOSTACEAEsetawar haliaMalaysia. Whole plant boiled for a decoction to bathe patients with high fever & for smallpox. Stem scrapings for leprous skin. Juice of rhizome is purgative. Malays attribute magical properties: drives away spirits causing illness.

Crinum asiaticumAMARYLLIDACEAEbakong, rumput tembaga suasaSE Asia to Pacific, seashores. Leaves used in poultices for joint pain, sometimes with pepper and gendarusa for fevers, lumbago, headaches, swellings. Chewed roots can induce vomiting.

Curculigo latifoliaHYPOXIDACEAElumbahIndo-Malaya. Fruits give sweet sensation and improve appetite. Decoction of leaves & hibiscus root used as eye drop for sore eyes. Roots eaten raw treat high fever. Decoction drunk for tumours smallpox and kidney stones. Fibre for fish nets.

Curcuma aeruginosaZINGIBERACEAEtemu hitamBurma, Indo China. Cult. Rhizomes used in post natal tonics and jamu (traditional health tonic).

Curcuma longaZINGIBERACEAEkunyit, turmericSE Asia, precise origin unknown. One of the oldest spice plants known, dried rhizomes ground for curries, dyes, used to relieve flatulence and diarrhea.

Cymbopogon citratusGRAMINEAEseraiOnly known in cultivation. Used widely in cooking and fragrance. For headache, pound leaves and apply to forehead. Apply paste as insect repellent or to joints for rheumatism. Boil and drink water for urinary & stomach problems.

Cymbopogon nardusGRAMINEAEserai wangiSri Lanka, S. India. Introduced to SE Asia. Acrid, warm, anti-inflammatory, analgesic. Digestive. Headache, stomach ache, diarrhea. Rheumatism. Irregular menses, post partum edema. Main source of citronella oil.

Cyrtandra cupulataGESNERIACEAE

Datura fastuosaSOLANACEAEkecubungWidely distributed village plant. All parts poisonous, particularly seeds, but occasionally used as an internal medication for lack of virility. Most common criminally used poison, rendering subject insensible without killing him. Crushed seeds administered in coffee / tea.

Dianella ensifoliaLILIACEAEakar siak, chi chiakIndo-Malaya. Leaf poultice used with Ardisia as poultice for wounds. Roots used in post natal tonics.

Dillenia philippinensisDILLENIACEAEsimpohPhilippines. (J.J. Dillenius, 1684-1747, German botanist, professor at Oxford). Flowers large, solitary, petals falling first day, fruit covered by thick fleshy edible sepals that make cough syrup & shampoo. Bark yields a red dye.

Diospyros discolorEBENACEAEbuah mentegaNative to Philippines. Twigs velvety, Occasionally cultivated in Malaya for edible fruits. Separate male and female flowers, fruit a berry with fibrous to fleshy pericarp. (Lat. having many colours).

Elatostemma sp.URTICACEAEThis from Taman Negara (1056 2000).

Emblica officinalisEUPHORBIACEAEmelakaSE Asia, frequent in villages and lowland forest. Cooked fruits eaten as a sour relish. Bark is used for tanning and dyeing. Leaves, roots and raw fruits are medicinal & rich in vitamin C. Slow growing to 20 m. Burkill states the name of the river and town is believed to have come from this tree & that origin is Sanskrit.

Etlingera elatiorALPINIEAEkantanMauritius. Of all gingers in the peninsula, Etlingeras have the most colourful inflorescence and fruits, but this introduced species is widely used for its edible flower cooked in laksa and sliced in salads.

Etlingera littoralisALPINIEAEGingers with tall leafy shoots and inflorescence on separate side shoots that may be some distance from the leafy shoot.

Eryngium foetidumAPIACEAEketumbar JawaAmerica, introduced by Chinese. Young leaves a substitute for coriander. Many medicinal uses in Americas: diuretic, febrifuge, mild stimulant, laxative. Decoction of whole plant lowers blood pressure, & as an aphrodisiac.

Euricles amboinensisAMARYLLIDACEAEsepenohSea shore plant through archipelago. Cult. as a magic plant; Malays use leaves in magic brush to sprinkle consecrated rice-gruel in harvesting, fishing and wedding ceremonies. Plant expels ghosts and evil spirits from house. Leaves applied to swellings, bulb to relieve oppression.

Freycinetia montanaPANDANACEAEpandan tikusSE Asia to Pacific. 6 spp. in Malaya. Stems slender and climbing by means of air roots; inflorescence bract brightly coloured. Used in jamu and for women's ailments.

Garcinia atroviridisGUTTIFERAEassam gelugorMalay peninsula, Burma. Edible fruit, dried segments used as condiment. Leaf sap used in post natal tonics.

Globba cernuaZINGIBERACEA

 

Globba corneriZINGIBERACEAE

Globba fragilisZINGIBERACEA

Globba cf patensZINGIBERACEAThis from Gunung Bunga Buah, Genting.

 

Gnetum gnemonGNETACEAE belinjau, meninjau Cultivated, seasonal, most likely introduced from eastern Indonesia. Fruit edible, seed roasted, flattened, dried and fried for empeng crackers.

Hanguana cf bognoriHANGUANACEATwo varieties, one has red leaf backs.

 

Hedychium coronariumZINGIBERACEAEganda suliBurma, India, southern China. Decoction of leaves drunk for indigestion. Leaves eaten with betel to treat abdominal pains. Stem sap applied to soothe swellings.

Helminthostachys zeylanicaOPHIOGLOSSACAEtanjuk langitSri Lanka, India, S. China through Malesia to New Caledonia. Rhizome is eaten with betel leaves as a tonic and for whooping cough. Used as an aphrodisiac, for fever, syphilis, diarrhea, flu. Ulam, ie. eaten raw as 'salad'.

Henckelia floribundaGESNERIACEAEThis from Cemurung, Terengganu.

Henckelia miniataGESNERIACEAE

 

Homalomena confusaARACEAE

Hoya carnosaASCLEPIADACEAEakar setebal/akar serapatEast Asia to Australia and Pacific. Epiphytic herb. Toxic and narcotic latex. Fresh leaf juice with honey used for pneumonia and bronchitis; anti-inflammatory.

Jasminum sambacOLEACEAEmelorTropical Asia? Flowers to scent tea, decoction of leaves & roots for fever, headaches, to stimulate lactation. Roots are used to treat asthma.

Justicia gendarussaACANTHACEAEgendarusa, urat sugiSE Asia. Decoction of leaves used to treat fever, jaundice, flatulence.

Kaempferia galangaZINGIBERACEAEcekur, kencurIndia. Rhizome, spice and scent, boiled with other roots for post natal tonic. Crushed leaves used as hot compress on swellings. To treat itchy throat, chew a piece of rhizome with salt.

Kaempferia pulchraHEDYCHIEAEMalaya. Small herbs with short rhizome and

 

tuberous roots, flowers arise in midst of a few leaves.

Labisia pumilaMYSINACEAEkacip fatimahSumatra, Malaya, Java, Borneo. Decoction of plant use to fortify women before labour and after childbirth, treats flatulence and irregular menses. Leaf decoction drunk for dysentery.

Lawsonia inermisLYTHRACEAEinaiIndia. Leaves are pounded and applied to fingers of brides for orange colour. Hair dye. Also treats superficial wounds. Boil leaves & gargle for sore throat.

Limonia acidissimaRUTACEAEbelinggai, gelinggaiIndia, Burma. Common in Perlis villages, needs monsoonal climate to fruit, slow growth and fruiting, brown pulp edible but resinous.

Lycoris radiataAMARYLLIDACEAE bawang jabuMyanmar to S. China. Bulbs cleaned , crushed and boiled. Decoction drunk to relieve fevers and coughs. White flowers open late afternoon, smell of dusty rooms.

Manihot esculenta 'Variegata'EUPHORBIACEAEtapioca / ubi kayuTropical America, brought to Asia in 17th cent. by Portuguese. Roots need to be grated, washed and cooked to make edible. Cassareep, a powerful antiseptic, is a by-product from boiling down the poisonous juice of bitter cassava.

Mapania caudataCYPERACEAE

Maranta arundinaceaeMARANTACEAEWest Indian arrowroot, ubi garutTropical America. Widely cultivated for starchy tubers that are grated, washed, sifted and cooked before rendering edible. Also used in making computer print paper.

Melastoma malabathricumMELASTOMATACEAEsendudukMadagascar, India to Australia. Common in open places, always flowering. Species very variable. Gr., melas (black) stoma (mouth), from the berries blackening the tongue.

Melia azaderachMELIACEAEmindi kecil, Persian lilacNowhere wild, foothills of the Himalayas? Cultivated for scent and shade. Arabs and Persians use leaf juice as vermifuge and diuretic. Used as fish poison, 6-8 seeds will kill a man. Poultice of leaves used for headaches, of flowers kills lice.

Melia indicaMELIACEAEneemWild in India & Java, otherwise cultivated for medicines. All parts of tree effective. Dried leaves in books deter insects. Identified by delicate and curiously curved toothed leaflets. Root bark for fever and anti-malarial, leaf poultice for ulcers.

Melissa officinalisLABIATAElemon balmSouthern Europe. Culinary, cosmetic and medicinal herb. Mild sedative properties in refreshing tea, relieves wind, reduces fever, increases perspiration.

Mentah arvensisLABIATAEpudinaFor headaches, pound leaves with lime juice, apply paste to forehead. Boil leaves to make a cough mixture.

Morus albaMORACEAEIndian mulberry, besaramNorth India. Leaves fed to silk worms or cattle. To Chinese, all parts medicinal: restorative, tonic & astringent for nervous disorders. Young leaves good for nursing mothers. Leaf decoction treats the blood, gonorrhoea, & poisoned wounds.

Murraya koenigiiRUTACEAEdaun kariLeaves used for flavour and fragrance. Mixed with ubat periuk to regulate the menstrual cycle.

Murraya paniculataRUTACEAEkemuningIndia to Australia, S. China, Melanesia. Ornamental. Yellow (kuning) root wood used for kris handles. Infusion of leaves for tapeworm and stomach herpes. Flowers for cosmetics and to scent hair.

Myristica fragransMYRISTICACEAEpala, nutmegMaluku. Fruit is pickled as food. Shoots eaten as vegetable with rice to treat hypertension. Red mace for flavouring fish and cakes. Seed kernel gives commercial nutmeg. Oil is medicinal and used to flavour tonics.

Nepenthes mirabilisNEPENTHACEAE

Ocimum basilicumLABIATACEAEselasih, basilCooking herb. Boil and drink for flatulence and cough. Apply extract to ringworm, insect bites and toothache. Drunk after childbirth & to relieve irregular menstrual cycles. Soaked seeds help soothe stomach and stimulate bowel movement.

 

Orchidantha longifloraLOWIACEAEEndemic to Perak and Selangor in lowland Dipterocarp forest. Boiled leaves a poultice for chest and back pains.

Orthosiphon aristatusLAMIACEAEmisai kucing, cat's whiskersIndo Pacific. Brewed leaves are a diuretic, used to eliminate bladder stones. Dried leaves were exported to Europe as early as 1886.

Pandanus amaryllifoliusPANDANACEAEpandan wangiMoluku? Widely cultivated. Leaves used to flavour food and in hair wash. Leaf ash mixed with vinegar used as a lotion for measles.

Pereskia bleoCACTACEAEBrazil. Decoction of leaves drunk for cancer.

Phyllanthus acidusEUPHORBIACEAEcermai, Malay gooseberryOne species, cultivated, origin unknown. Common village tree, especially in north. Fruits cooked as a sour flavouring or acar; root is medicinal but poisonous: boiled and steam inhaled for cough, weak infusion drunk for asthma.

Piper betelPIPERACEAEsirihMalay archipelago. Leaves are eaten with gambir for treating diarrhea. Mild stimulant, applied in poultices for stomach pains, coughs and asthma. Leaf sap applied to soothe oral sores and ulcers.

Piper nigrumPIPERACEAElada hitamIntroduced (from India?) Marco Polo reported in 1280 that it was in Malaya. Cultivation followed land clearance, need for highly organic soils favored shifting cultivation, creating wide grass wastes in Singapore mid 19th century. Essential ingredient of jamu.

Piper sarmentosumPIPERACEAEkadokSE Asia. Leaves used in embrocation for skin discoloration and a throat poultice for coughs. Roots chewed with areca nut to treat persistent coughs and asthma.

Pipthospatha ridleyiARACEAE

Plectranthus amboinicusLAMACEAEbangun bangun, po hor, Indian borageNE Africa. Cult. from India to SE Asia. Decoction used to treat asthma, fever, nausea, rheumatism, colic, urinary tract infections cough, epilepsy and convulsion. Boil with rock sugar for sore throat.

Plumeria rubraAPOCYNACEAEbunga kembojaCentral America. Flowers sweet, cool, fragrant. Used to prevent heat stroke & to treat enteritis & dysentry. Helps indigestion and poor absorption of infantile nutrition.

Pollia griffithiiCOMMELINACEAE

Polygonum minusPOLYGONACEAEkesumOld World tropics. Cooking herb. All parts used in post-natal tonics. Leaves used to treat indigestion (boil and drink) and dandruff (pound leaves, extract oil, mix with water & apply to scalp for a few minutes).

Rhodomyrtus tomentosaMYRTACEAEkemuntingUse leaves fruits and roots. Fruit for stomach ache and diarrhea, roots as an ingredient for women after childbirth.

Ruta graveolensRUTACEAErue, inguS. Europe, N. Africa, no longer found in the wild. Bitter, acrid, cool. Anti-inflammatory, dispels stagnant blood, analgesic. For colds, fever, infantile convulsion, amenorrhea. Infantile eczema. Traumatic injury. Snake and insect bites.

Sambucus javanicaCAPRIFOLIACEAEelderberry, bungan kepapah (Bali)Indonesia. Sweet and mildly bitter. Use roots (antispasm and anti swelling) stems and leaves (diuretic, anti swelling and analgesic).

Scaphoclamys sp.HEDYCHIEAEThis sp. located by stream bank at Bukit Kabut, Belum, Perak. Leaves dark green with purple lower surface.

Schismatoglottis calyptrata ARACEAE

Scindapsus pictusARACEAE

Selaginella frondosaSELAGINELLACEAE

Selaginella planaSELAGINELLACEAEpaka merakMalay peninsula. Various spp. used for stomach ache, rheumatism, coughs, asthma, post-natal tonics.

Strobilantes dyerianusACANTHACEAEPersian shieldBurma. Introduced to the Botanical Gardens Singapore by collector Boxall and having done well was sent to Kew and brought into wider cultivation 1893.

Stauranthera grandifloraGESNERIACEAE

Syzigium aromaticumMYRTACEAEcingkeh, cloveTraditionally added to cigarettes (kretek) and food for fragrance. Shoots and leaves chewed for bad breath and to relieve toothache. Sun dried flower buds are the cloves of commerce.

Tacca integrifoliaTACCACEAEkeladi murai, kelemoyang air (Sel.)Common tuberous herb in deep shaded forest. Flowers arranged in clusters of 5+ surrounded by leaf like bracts, with pendant thread like bracts. Pulped tubers treat skin irritations caused by ulat bulu darat, stinging black caterpillars (Bentong).

Tamarindus indicaLEGUMINOSAEasam jawaAfrica; introduced by Arab traders to India & SEAsia (tamar-ul-Hind, 'the date of India'). Young shoots eaten raw; decoction of leaves treats fever. Pulp of fruit added to curry for sourness; bark a poultice for sores and boils.

Telosma cordataASCLEPIADACEAEbunga siam, melati tongkeng, Tonkin creeperChina, India. Edible fragrant flowers and leaves. Chinese in Java make sweetmeat of the fleshy roots. Flowers used in soup to treat weak eyes.

Tinospora crispaMENISPERMACEAEpatawaliIndia~Indo-China, Malaya, Philippines, Java. Antibacterial and antimalarial. Treats stomach ache, fever, gonorrhea and for deworming. Boil the stem and strain, drink once a day. Antiseptic: pound stem with sulphur and apply to wound.

Tradescantia spathaceaCOMMELINACEAEdaun kepah, boat lilyCentral American ornamental herb. Previously known as Rhoea discolor.

Typhonium flagelliformeARACEAErat's tuber / birah kecilIndia to Australia. Decoction of leaves for mouth ulcers and some cancers.

Vallaris glabraAPOCYNACEAEkesidang, kerak nasiJava. Widely cultivated in Malaysia for its strong pandan smelling flowers. "The scent is mousy but agreeable to the natives of the East, who like it, as they like rice and yams with a mousy smell". (Burkill)

Wrightia religiosaAPOCYNACEAEmok (Thai)Old World tropics. Cultivated for fragrant flowers and for bonsai.

Zingiber griffithiiZINGIBERACEAE

Zingiber malaysianumZINGIBERACEAE

 

Zingiber officinale var.ZINGIBERACEAEhalia baraSmaller variety of commercial ginger, does better in tropics. Rhizome decoction for indigestion (Perak) and after childbirth (Kel.), fever lotion (Batu Gajah); part of an elaborate cosmetic for entire body in cases of suspected lunacy.

Zingiber spectabileZINGIBERACEAEtepus tundok, chadakMalaya, Sumatra. Sometimes used for flavouring. Leaves pounded to poultice swellings, cold leaf infusion to bathe eyelids. Name chadak infers connection with the occult (Burkill). Recently become a popular cut flower.