Science Education: e-Books : Story Of Simpur

THE STORY OF SIMPUR

WHAT IS SIMPUR AND WHERE IT GROWS?

Simpur is a distinctive shrubby tree grows vigorously on eroded soil, wasteland, forest edges and swampy areas.

It has large leaves and large yellow flowers. The flowers are bisexual and usually have 5 petals. The sepals are overlapping and sometimes enlarging in fruits. It usually open at 3 am and only last for a day. They are pollinated by bees which collect its pollen (the flowers don't produce nectar or a scent) or by small beetles and flies that scramble over it. Almost every flower sets fruit.

The unopened fruits are surrounded by thick red sepals. To distinguish them from flower buds, the fruits face upwards while flower buds face down. The ripe fruit splits open also at 3 am, into pinkish star-shaped segments to reveal seeds covered in red arils. The plant blooms from age 3-4 and can live for 50-100 years.

WHAT IS THE FAMILY NAME?

The scientific name for simpur is Dilleniaceae. The genus is named after the German botanist Johann Jacob Dillenius, and consists of evergreen or semi-evergreen trees and shrubs. It is a species that can be seen in the white sands of Brunei where it serves as the colonizer of the sands other species can not live. In due time, the white sands will become a new rainforest.

There are more than 100 species of Dillenia in this world, throughout the tropics. It can be found in subtropical regions of southern Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean islands. Some examples are :

Dillenia suffructicosa

Dillenia alata

Dillenia catmon

Dillenia ingens

Dillenia ovata

Dillenia retusa

However, only 15 species can be found in Brunei Darussalam. They are usually found in the lowland, inland forests including mixed peat swamp and secondary forest to 1000 m. Examples of Dillenia found in Brunei Darusslam are :

Dillenia beccariana (Martelli) - Borneo endemic. Locally common on the clay slopes in the lower Temburong and Batu Apoi valleys, in the Ulu Tutong and at Tasik Merimbun.
Dillenia borneensis (Hoogland) - Found rare in Brunei: on clay soils in mixed dipterocarp forest at 300m in temburong District.
Dillenia excelsa (jack) Gilg - Throughout Brunei especially in moist valleys and lower slopes.
Dillenia grandifolia (Wallich) - Uncommon in Brunei : Known from Ulu Ingei and Andulau Forest reserve, Belait, and Kuala Belalong, Amo.
Dillenia indica (Linnaeus)-Not native in Brunei:sometimes cultivated.
Dillenia reticulata (king) - Locally frequent on sandy soils in the floodplains of the streams within Andulau Forest Reserve in Brunei, and in Ulu Belait.
Dillenia pulchella (Jack)Gilg - Mixed peatswamp fprest and swampy kerangas, in Brunei especially near the coast.
Dillenia suffruticosa (Griffith)martelli -Abundant on degraded land,often where covering from fire;also common in river banks and other open place,especially downriver and on poor soils.
Dillenia sumatrana (miquel) - Common in Brunei: in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest on leached sandy and sandy clay soils-Belait and Tutong districts but far not from Temburong.

The table below shows Dillenia species found in Brunei Darussalam.

SPECIES	COMMON NAME
Dillenia Suffruticosa (Griffith) Martelli	Simpoh Air, Simpor Bini Buan (Iban), tegering abai (Murut), dingrng kala’o (Belait)
Dillenia Grandifolio Wallich ex Hooker f. & Thomson	Pokok Simpoh Daun Merah
Dillenia Reticulata King	Pokok Simpoh Gajah, simpor pay
Dillenia Excelsa (Jack) Gilg	*Pokok Simpoh Ungu, simpor laki, simpur laki, simpoh,* Simpur laki (Brunei, Dusun) Beringin (Iban)**
Dillenia beccariana Martelli	River simpor, Buan (Iban)
Dillenia Indica Linnaeus
Dillenia Borneensis Hoogland	Ubah rusa (Iban)
Dillenia Sumatrana Miquel	Simpur Laki (Brunei), Peru (Iban), Menterong
Dillenia Pulchella (Jack) Gilg	Simpur paya

FLOWERS OF DILLENIA : SIMPUR

Dillenia Excelsa

Dillenia Philippinensis

Dillenia suffruticosa

Dillenia Sumatrana

Dillenia Alata

Dillenia Beccariana

Dillenia Indica

FRUITS OF DILLENIA : SIMPUR

Dillenia Excelsa

Unopened fruit


Opened fruit *Dillenia Alata*

The open fruit reveal bright red valves and black seeds.

Dillenia indica, Dillenia speciosa

The greenish-yellow fruit, which has a thick protective covering, is edible; unripe fruits are cooked to make pickle and chutney. The juicy pulp is aromatic but very acid.

Dillenia philippinensis

Dillenia suffruticosa, Wormia suffruticosa

The ripe fruit splits open also at 3 am, into pinkish star-shaped segments to reveal seeds covered in red arils.

It takes 5 weeks for the fruit to set.

Dillenia beccariana

Unopened fruit


Opened fruit *Dillenia Ingens*

Dillenia Ovata

Dillenia serrata, Dillenia elliptica

GENERAL USES OF DILLENIA : SIMPUR

LEAVES OF DILLENIA

Uses of Simpur leaves

The large leaves are used to wrap food such as tempeh (fermented soyabean cakes), nasi lemak and tapai (fermented rice).
Can be rolled into shallow cones to contain traditional "fast food" such as rojak.

The mature or old leaves of some species contain a deposit of silica in their tissues and thus they were once used as sandpaper.

As an indicator of availability of water source

This plant sends out very deep tap roots to reach underground water sources.

Hence, some people use the plant as a guide to decide where to dig a well.

Traditional medicinal uses

The young shoots are used to staunch bleeding wounds.

The fruit pulp may be used to wash the hair.

Role in the habitat

The Simpor Bini (Dillenia suffruticosa) is also widespread in distribution, and it can grow in various habitats.

It can be found commonly in the white sands areas, as well in secondary growth and in swamps.

In the white sands, the Simpor Bini is a very important species. It acts as a pioneer species, colonizing the white sands where other tree species are unable to establish themselves on the white sands.

The Simpor Bini is known to have seeds that can establish on the white sands, and on germinating, are able to send roots very deep down to reach underground water source.

The low spreading shrubs that develop will eventually provide shade for seedlings of other tree species to establish themselves.

Islands of fresh vegetation will be initially formed, and eventually a new forest is established.

HUNTING SIMPUR WITH FRIENDS

As mentioned earlier, simpur belongs to a genus of plants called Dillenia. The common simpur tree which can be find in Brunei Darussalam is Dillenia Suffruticosa.

Two best known and common simpur are Dillenia Beccariana which is also known as the River Simpur and Dillenia Suffruticosa. Dillenia Suffruticosa is also well known as the Simpur Bini. The Simpur species are usually trees, but some can be rather shrubby.

The River Simpur (Dillenia Beccariana) is found printed on the front side of Brunei one-dollar note. It is a small tree and it is common along the rivers, especially the Temburong River. It can be easily observed as one takes a river journey to the Ulu Temburong National Park. Apart from along the rivers, the River Simpor is also found in other areas.

Dillenia Excelsa which is also known as Simpur Laki can be found in Sungai Liang Recreational Park. It is a sub-canopy tree which grows up to 25 m tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, penni-veined and margin usually entire. The flowers are 55 mm in diameter, yellow in colour while the fruits are 28 mm long, red-purplish in colour with dehiscent capsule and arilate seeds.

It is found in undisturbed and secondary mixed dipterocarp forests up to 700 m altitude. Mostly on alluvial sites such as swamps and riverside. However, it is also found on hillsides and ridges, sandy to clayey soils. The timber is used for house building as it is very strong. Dillenia Excelsa can be found distributed in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, West-, Central- and East-Kalimantan), Philippines.

Below are some of the pictures of Dillenia Excelsa, Dillenia Beccariana and Dillenia Suffruticosa taken during my visit to Sungai Liang Recreational Park and Tutong with my coursemates.

* The below Simpur pictures are taken by Alice Lim*