MELASTOMA CANDIDUM

Melastoma candidum, is a shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. Its stems reddish, covered with small scales. Its flowers are up to 8 cm wide, with petals that are light to dark magenta-pink, or occasionally white. The fruits are 6-10 mm wide fruits are somewhat round, and open irregularly when ripe to expose dark blue pulp with many orange seeds. The fruits are edible but rather tasteless, with the pulp staining the tongue blue-black.

Taxonomy:

• Family : Melastomataceae

Common Names: 

• Malay : Kuduk-kuduk Biru

Habitat and Distribution:

Melastoma candidum, is a pioneer species frequently found in wastelands and secondary forests. It can tolerate poor soils and is considered as weedy or invasive in some countries. It grows in open sites, in the lowlands and on mountains up to 3,000 m altitude. It thrives in tropical and sub-tropical region. It is native to Southeast Asia.

Medicinal Uses :

Research supports the traditional use of Melastoma candidum to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Other traditional uses include using the bark to treating dysentery and toothache. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, indigestion, leucorrhoea, stomachache, piles, thrush, and weeping sores from insect stings. The leaves can be applied to cuts, painful arthritic joints, swellings and wounds too. The leaves are also made into a wash for ulcers and to prevent scarring from smallpox. The powdered leaves and roots may be applied on haemorrhoids and wounds. The roots may be used as a mouthwash for toothache.

It is important to note that some therapeutic effects from traditional medicinal uses of plants are not currently supported or verified by scientific research.