Rich with roses and fruits ..BY: By Lam Peng Sam ..LD: A BEAUTIFUL and useful plant by any standard, the Rhodomyrtus tomentosa or the Rose Myrtle (known as the Kemunting in Malay) is a popular shrub, even growing wild in open ground and easily recognisable
A BEAUTIFUL and useful plant by any standard, the Rhodomyrtus tomentosa or the Rose Myrtle (known as the Kemunting in Malay) is a popular shrub, even growing wild in open ground and easily recognisable. Almost all parts of the plant are densely downy; they have a cover of greyish velvety hairs. Native to Malaysia, it adds colour and interest to the landscape, and birds love to feed on the sweet, juicy fruits.The plant belongs to the family Myrtaceae. Our Jambu Air (Eugenia spp), and Gelam (Melaleuca spp) also belong to the some family, sharing the same honour as the well-known Australian Eucalyptus and Callistemon (or Bottle brushes). An evergreen shrub, it can grow up to 2m or more. Its leaves are ovate and leathery, about 4-6cm long, with three longitudinal veins running from the tips to the base of the leaves. The flowers are rose to deep pink or lilac and are axillary: 3cm wide with pink stamens and downy on the outside, like the foliage. Berries form after the flowers have set. The fruits are very sweet and juicy and attract even children. They have a pleasant taste and are good for jams. The plant has local medicinal value. A concoction of the roots and leaves are drunk as a remedy for diarrhoea and stomach ache. The flowering shrub has been widely used in Sabah and Sarawak and the idea is also catching up here in landscape planting, as it attracts more birds and small wildlife to urban areas. The plant is very free-flowering - you always see the plant in bud and flow
Kemunting fruits, which look like blueberries but actually come from the guava family, grow abundantly in the Merang area. This fruit is a favorite amongst the locals here who would just go wandering about and picking them off the tree. Research officer, Salahuddin Tamby from Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) said, “MARDI had come up with a process to turn the berries into jam and juice back in 1980s and had received positive feedback on the product.” On the other hand, MARDI director Wahab Ismail said that the technology for processing the fruits are available but not the planting of trees which contributed to the hesitation felt by investors as there might not be enough supply for commercialization.
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