If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Melastoma sanguineum

Sims

Melastomataceae

+ Synonyms

Melastoma decemfidum Roxb.

Melastoma dendrisetosum C.Chen

Common Name:

Melastoma sanguineum
Drawing of a flowering stem
Photograph by: Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, vol. 48: t. 2241 (1821) [J. Curtis]
Creative Commons License

General Information

Melastoma sanguineum is an evergreen shrub or small tree usually growing 1.5 - 5 metres tall, but sometimes up to 10 metres[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
1031
Title
Revision of the Southeast Asian Genus Melastoma (Melastomataceae)
Publication
Blumea 46 pp 351 - 398
Author
Meyer K.
Publisher
 
Year
2001
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for local medicinal use, being valued especially as an astringent. It is possibly also used as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
1031
Title
Revision of the Southeast Asian Genus Melastoma (Melastomataceae)
Publication
Blumea 46 pp 351 - 398
Author
Meyer K.
Publisher
 
Year
2001
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Disturbed forests, along streams and roads, in open places and savannahs; at elevations of up to 2,300 metres[
1031
Title
Revision of the Southeast Asian Genus Melastoma (Melastomataceae)
Publication
Blumea 46 pp 351 - 398
Author
Meyer K.
Publisher
 
Year
2001
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *
Medicinal Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height6.00 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details



The plant is often grown as an ornamental - in Hawaii it has proved to be an invasive shrub that can spread rapidly and may form dense monotypic thickets in a variety of habitats such as: open land, grassland, shrubland and native forest[
413
Title
Global Invasive Species Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Very detailed information on almost 400 species (with more being added) of plants that have become weeds in areas outside their native range.
].

Edible Uses

We have no specific information for this species, but the fruits of many species in the genus are eaten as a snack[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. They generally have a sweet flavour, but can be quite astringent, especially if not fully ripe[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. The fruit is a fleshy capsules around 8 - 19mm in diameter with a solid, yellow pulp and minute orange seeds[
1031
Title
Revision of the Southeast Asian Genus Melastoma (Melastomataceae)
Publication
Blumea 46 pp 351 - 398
Author
Meyer K.
Publisher
 
Year
2001
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Medicinal

The roots, leaves, flowering tops or berries are astringent and are used in the treatment of conditions such as diarrhoea, leucorrhoea, and dysentery[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
785
Title
Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Duong
Publisher
Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
Year
1993
ISBN
0-9837303-1-2
Description
Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
Externally, they can be used as a wash on cuts, wounds etc.

The roots are considered a stimulant and tonic[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. They are used to treat vertigo and general malaise[
785
Title
Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Duong
Publisher
Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
Year
1993
ISBN
0-9837303-1-2
Description
Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].

Melastoma species are rich in tannins of the hydrolysable type. Most of them are di- and trimers, with reported bactericidal and antiviral activities[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown fresh in a nursery seedbed, or in containers because of the small size of the seed. Germination is best in either full sun or in light shade[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. In trials, the seed germinated within 25 - 50 days[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Melastoma+sanguineum>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.