Malatungaw
Melastoma malabathricum · Malabar melastome
- Names in the book
- Granatis, Tag.
- Colours
- flowermagenta, purple
- Native range
- Indomalaya to Australia
- In the Philippines, per the book
- Mountains of Angat and San Mateo.
- Family
- Melastomataceae, filed in the book under Melastomaceæ
- Printed as
- Melastoma malabatrichum, L. (M. obvolutum, Jack.; M. aspera and obvoluta, Blanco.)
- Sources
- Page 116 on Project Gutenberg · Wikipedia
The plant today
Melastoma malabathricum, known also as Malabar melastome, Indian rhododendron, Singapore rhododendron, planter's rhododendron and senduduk, is a flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae native to Seychelles, tropical and subtropical Asia to Australia and western Pacific islands. Despite its common names, it does not have any connection to actual rhododendrons, and belongs to the Rosids clade as opposed to the Asterids clade. This plant is usually found at elevations between 100 m and 2,800 m in grassland and sparse forest habitats.
Excerpt from “Melastoma malabathricum” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Recorded in the Philippines
GBIF holds 1,022 records of this plant from the Philippines. The ones with map coordinates fall in 45 provinces, most often Agusan del Sur (16), Palawan (15), Davao del Sur (12), Negros Oriental (10), Benguet (8), Camiguin (8), Quezon (8), Sorsogon (8), and 37 more.
Counts from GBIF occurrence records, October 2026. They include planted trees and garden plants, and a province with no records may only lack collectors.
What the 1901 book says
A historical record, quoted as printed. Doses and remedies here are not medical advice.
Uses
A decoction of the leaves is of use as an astringent in diarrhœa and dysentery. A decoction of the bark is used as a gargle for aphthæ and catarrhal sore throat, and as a wash for ulcers and the itch.
The fruit is edible, resembling slightly the currant; it has doubtless received the name “granatis” on account of its many seeds.
Botanical description
Small tree, with opposite branches, their ends covered with hairs. Leaves opposite, 3-nerved, 1′ long, very rough with short hairs. Flowers carmine, in terminal panicles. Stamens 10. Filaments alternating violet and straw-color.
Recent research
The most cited papers since 2022 that name this plant in the title, pulled from Europe PMC in October 2026. Titles are the authors' own and the findings have not been reviewed here.
- Protective role of casuarinin from Melastoma malabathricum against a mouse model of 5-fluorouracil-induced intestinal mucositis: Impact on inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis
- Organic Amendments Effects on Nutrient Uptake, Secondary Metabolites, and Antioxidant Properties of Melastoma malabathricum L
- Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Antioxidants from Melastoma malabathricum Linn.: Modeling and Optimization Using Box-Behnken Design