Common Name:

General Information

Melastoma saigonense is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 3 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

On dry or swampy ground in open places, light forests, scrubs or grasslands; at elevations from sea level to 600 metres[]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. They need to be fully ripe, or else they can be astringent[]. Eaten as a snack, they generally have a sweet flavour. The fruit is a fleshy capsule around 8 - 13mm long[].

Medicinal

The roots, leaves, flowering tops or berries are astringent and are used in the treatment of conditions such as diarrhoea, leucorrhoea, and dysentery[].
Externally, they can be used as a wash on cuts, wounds etc.

Melastoma species are rich in tannins of the hydrolysable type. Most of them are di- and trimers, with reported bactericidal and antiviral activities[].

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[].

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