Johor Ethnobotany Database
Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don
Common name: Koster's Curse
Local name: Senduduk
Family: Melastomataceae
Taxonomic classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Order: Myrtales
Family: Melastomataceae
Genus: Clidemia
Species: Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don
Discription
Growth Form: Perennial shrub.
Foliage: Glossy, deeply veined leaves are ovate to oblong with crenate leaf margin (leaf edge lined with rounded teeth). Leaves have 5 major veins spreading from base to tip with numerous lateral veins that create ladder-like patterns.
Flowers: Small white flowers are composed of 5 petals with rounded to truncate tips. The sepals are fused at the base and covered with long, white hairs.
Fruits: Bluish-black berry is hairy and shaped like an egg.
Habitat
The native habit of this species is in grasslands, shrublands and riparian zones (along rivers). Outside of its native range, it is an invasive species that displaces native species and forms monocultures.
Habit
Shrub
Ethnobotanical uses
Medicinal uses:
Leaves - for healing wound
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Non-medicinal uses:
Fruits - edible