Local Name: Pokok Mempelas
Scientific Name: Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Family: Dilleniaceae
Origin/Habitat: Wild plant. Easily found in bushes and forest areas in East Asia
Details: Mempelas is a wild plant that climbs and posses wooden stem. The leaves is medium size, simple shape and arrange in alternate order. The surface of the leaves rough. The texture of the stem is also rough and can caused wound if its touched skin. Mempelas posses a small white flower with the small pink petals. The flower have fragrance. The fruit is small as berry and taste sour and turn green in colour while its young and change to red when its mature
Uses: The Malay people in Malaysia use dried mempelas leaves’ powder to heal chafe. The paste which are produced from the leaves is used to treat poisonous bug stings. Despite of medication, the fruit can be used as a vinegar in cooking. The strong stem can be used to produce rope
Breeding: Propagation through stem cuttings or seeding