New Record of Xylocarpus moluccensis on Semakau

Found this young Nyireh Batu on Semakau during a mangrove survey in February this year, but somehow slipped my mind to blogged about it, so this is really a very backdated entry :P


This the the young Nyireh Batu (Xylocarpus moluccensis) that I found during the survey. Heard from John a few months back that this species was previously not recorded on Semakau, but somehow, due to my busy schedule, forgot to confirm with him the ID (thanks a million for the help!) until recently.

Nyireh Batu, also known as Mangrove Cannonball (the common name for Xylocarpus spp.), bears round fruits resembling cannonballs, thus giving it its common name.

This plant is deciduous, and sheds all its leaves one or two times a year. Being a mangrove tree makes the wood rather saltwater-resistant, and thus the wood was used for building boats. It was also used for making furniture and houses, and as firewood.

This young Nyireh Batu was found a distance away from the forest edge actually. Does that mean that there could be a mature tree some where?

Sure hope to find one on a future trip!