Where seen? This native tree is the source of a medicinal
oil called cajuput oil. Some trees are planted at Chek Jawa. According
to Corners, it was common in Malaya, "especially in swampy ground
near the coasts." According to Hsuan Keng, Ridley observed that
"Kampong Gelam may perhaps have taken its name from trees formely
growing here". It was also found in Seletar. Also referred to
as M. leucadendron.
Features: A tall tree (15-20m)
with a narrow, dense crown. Leaves (5-9cm long) dull green, thick,
leathery smooth, oval or elongated with 5-7 longitudinal veins. The
leaves resemble those of an Acacia. The leaves give off a typical
'tea-tree' smell when crushed. Tiny flowers are creamy-yellow emerging
on a long spike in the shape of a bottle-brush. New leaves grow on
the flower spike. Fruits are round brown woody capsules in tight clusters
and may remain on the tree for several years. They split open to reveal
minute brown seeds.
The trunk is often gnarled and twisted. The thick spongy bark is whitish
to greyish brown ('Kayu putih' means 'white wood' in Malay)
and may peel off in large flakes like sheets of paper. So it is sometimes
also called the Paper bark tree.
A hardy tree that grows rapidly and can withstand poor waterlogged
soils, wind, heat and even withstand fires, it can become an invasive
weed where introduced outside its native range.
Human uses: The leaves are used to distill 'cajeputi' or
'tea-tree oil' which has medicinal and antiseptic uses. According
to Wee, the Burmese use it to treat gout, the Indochinese to treat
rheumatism and joint pains, the Malaysians to treat colic and cholera,
the Indonesians to treat burns, colic, cramps, skin diseases, wounds
and various aches and pains. The pinkish-brown timber has a uniform
texture and is popular for use in carving, cabinet work, boat building,
fencing as well as for fire wood. The bark flakes are used for insulation
and for stuffing pillows.
According to Corners, the timber is hard and durable and is used as
the main firewood where bakau or mangrove wood is unavailable. The
papery bark is used to caulk boats as the bark swells in water, thus
sealing seams. The dried fruits are sold as a spice.
Planted in the
Pasir Ris, Sep 09
Fruits are brown capsules.
the visitor trail.
Chek Jawa, Aug 09
- Tee Swee
Ping and Wee Mei Lynn (eds). 2001. Trees of our Garden City.
National Parks Board. 202 pp.
- Wee Yeow
Chin. 1992. A
Guide to Medicinal Plants. The Singapore Science Centre.
- Hsuan Keng,
S.C. Chin and H. T. W. Tan. 1990, The
Concise Flora of Singapore: Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons.
Singapore University Press. 222 pp.
E. J. H., 1997. Wayside
Trees of Malaya: in two volumes.
Fourth edition, Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur. Volume 1:
1-476 pp, plates 1-38; volume 2: 477-861 pp., plates 139-236.
I. H., 1993. A
Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula.
3rd printing. Publication Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur. Volume 1: 1-1240; volume 2: 1241-2444.