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Dillenia reticulata
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Family: |
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Common Names: |
Stilted Simpoh, Simpoh Jangkang |
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Status: |
Native |
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Classification: |
Critically Endangered |
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Two mature examples of Dillenia reticulata are known to me and both have very impressive stilt roots, one of them is easily accessible and sign posted along the Macritchie Board Walk and well worth a visit. The other much larger tree is in a less accessible and swampy section of the Nee Soon Forest.
D. reticulata is one of two Dillenia species (the other is D. grandifolia) that are known for establishing impressive stilt roots no matter whether they are growing in flat swampy ground or on dry hillsides. Recognizing this tree to genus level is easy, however differentiating between these two species requires a close inspection of the leaf characteristic; D. reticulata has a rounded or sometimes heart shaped base and the underside of the leaves (particularly of saplings) are tomentose and have a close network of raised veinlets, while D. grandifolia has a more tapered base and the underside of the leaves have much fewer hairs.
For mature trees, the most reliable distinguishing characteristic are the leaf margins which are strongly toothed for D. grandifolia and "wavy" for D. reticulata. |
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Mature emergent D, reticulata @ Nee Soon Swamp Forest
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Impressive bole @ Nee Soon
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Wavy margin (not toothed), stem is tomentose. |
Rounded leaf base. |
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Leaf base is sometimes heart shaped, note also tomentose hairs.
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Mature tree has smaller leaves (compare to sapling images below).
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Sapling @ Nee Soon Swamp Forest |
This mature D. reticulata @ Macritchie Board Walk
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Uncle Shawn checks out the stilt root system |
Original trunk inside the stilt complex. |
Sapling at Upper Seletar (note the 1m long leaves)
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Stilt root reaching for the ground |
Large sapling leaves are pubescent beneath. |
Sapling at Nee Soon Forest |
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