AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITiS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALA Y STATES. 
No. 13.] NOVEMBER, 1902. [Vol. i. 
FRUITS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA,— Continued, 
Rubiace^e, 
This order contains but few edible fruits, and none of these are 
indigenous to our region. The Negro peach of Africa Sarcpce - 
phalus esculentus has long been in cultivation in the Botanic 
Gardens. It is a half scandent shrub with balls of white flowers, 
followed by a pinkish head of fruits, about an inch through. This 
however is not very delicious, though it is sweet. It is really not 
worth cultivating except for its ornamental flowers. 
The Voa vanga of Madagascar, Vangueria edulis is another 
exotic fruit which has been introduced here. It is a large shrub 
with green flowers, and green fruits about an inch through. It 
fruits in the Botanic Gardens, but can hardly be considered worth 
cultivating for its fruit, which when overripe suggests the flavour 
of a medlar, but is far from being as excellent a fruit as that. I 
have found natives who appreciated it. 
The large white translucent head of fruits of the Mengkudu, 
Morinda tinctoria is sometimes eaten by Malays, who however, 
do not appear very fond of it. It is not likely to be appreciated 
by Europeans, as it tastes most like a mixture of soap and sugar. 
Vaccineace^e. 
The berries of V actinium malaccense , a shrub growing often 
abundantly by the seashore in sandy places, is quite eatable. It 
resembles a bilberry in appearance and taste, but is firmer and 
less juicy. 
MyRSINE/E. 
The drupes of the Mata Pelandok Ardisia crenulata , a common 
shrub in open country with pink flowers and scarlet fruits, are 
eaten by natives. 
Sapotace^e;. 
The best known of the fruits of this order is the Sapodiila, or 
Sapoti, called in the Straits the Chiku {Achras Sapota). This is 
the fruit of a large shrub, hardly a tree, a native of the West 
indies. The fruit is oval or globose with a thin brown skin and a 
good deal of brown flesh enclosing one or two hard black seeds. 
The fruit is produced nearly all the year round and requires to be 
