Ardisia squamulosa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ardisia squamulosa Presl

Family: Myrsinaceae

Synonyms

• Ardisia boissieri A. DC.,
• A. drupacea (Blanco) Merrill,
• A. humilis auct., non Vahl

Vernacular names

• Philippines: tagpo (Tagalog), babagion (Cebu Bisaya), butau (Bicol)

Distribution

Possibly endemic in and rather common throughout the Philippines.

Uses

The flowers and fruits are cooked as a flavouring with fish. The leaves are used to soothe and heal wounds.

Observations

• Small tree, up to 10 m tall and 15 cm in stem diameter.
• Leaves alternate, oblanceolate, 6-15 cm × 2-6 cm, entire, slender, pointed at both ends.
• Inflorescence a few-flowered terminal or lateral umbel-like raceme.
• Pedicel 3 cm long; flowers 4-5-merous, about 1 cm long, white or pink, fragrant.
• Fruit a globose, 1-seeded drupe, up to 1 cm in diameter, dark blue to purple.

A. squamulosa occurs commonly in primary forest, up to 1000 m altitude. The chemical composition of the fresh fruit is approximately: water 29%, protein 15%, fat 2%, carbohydrates 22%, fibre 27% and ash 5%. Propagation is possible by seed.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1941-1943. Useful plants of the Philippines. 3 volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines. 1610 pp. (reprint, 1951-1957).

• Food and Agriculture Organization, 1984. Food and fruit‑bearing forest species. 2. Examples from southeastern Asia. FAO Forestry paper 44/2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. 167 pp.

• Merrill, E.D., 1923-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants. 4 volumes. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines. 463, 530, 628, 515 pp. respectively.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen