Syzygium polyanthum
Dublin Core
Title
Syzygium polyanthum
Subject
Taxonomy
Common name
Bay leaf (English), Bengkang (Iban), Daun Salam (Malay)
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Myrtales
Family:Myrtaceae
Genus:Syzgium
Species: polyanthum (Wight) Walp.Common name
Bay leaf (English), Bengkang (Iban), Daun Salam (Malay)
Description
Characteristic
Syzygium polyanthum, also known as bay leaf or daun salam, is an evergreen plant species in the family Myrtaceae. It can grow up to 25 meters tall with dense foliage and thick bark.
Morphology
Syzygium polyanthum, also known as the Indonesian bay leaf, is an evergreen plant species in the Myrtaceae family. It can grow up to 15 meters tall and has a dense, columnar crown. The bark is dark brown and the young branches are green. The leaves are dark green, glossy, and lanceolate, with a length of 5-15 cm and a width of 2-5 cm. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant, and grow in clusters at the end of the branches. The fruit is a small, round, fleshy berry that turns from green to black when ripe.
Medicinal uses
Traditionally to treat diarrhea, rheumatism, and diabetes. The leaves are freshly consumed as “ulam” by traditional Malay people for the treatment of hypertension and general body health maintenance. In Indonesia, local people often add leaves in culinary preparation because they believe that the plant is beneficial in the management of diabetes mellitus, gout, arthritis, and hypertension
Distribution
S. polyanthum can be found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.
IUCN Category List
Not yet assessed
Syzygium polyanthum, also known as bay leaf or daun salam, is an evergreen plant species in the family Myrtaceae. It can grow up to 25 meters tall with dense foliage and thick bark.
Morphology
Syzygium polyanthum, also known as the Indonesian bay leaf, is an evergreen plant species in the Myrtaceae family. It can grow up to 15 meters tall and has a dense, columnar crown. The bark is dark brown and the young branches are green. The leaves are dark green, glossy, and lanceolate, with a length of 5-15 cm and a width of 2-5 cm. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant, and grow in clusters at the end of the branches. The fruit is a small, round, fleshy berry that turns from green to black when ripe.
Medicinal uses
Traditionally to treat diarrhea, rheumatism, and diabetes. The leaves are freshly consumed as “ulam” by traditional Malay people for the treatment of hypertension and general body health maintenance. In Indonesia, local people often add leaves in culinary preparation because they believe that the plant is beneficial in the management of diabetes mellitus, gout, arthritis, and hypertension
Distribution
S. polyanthum can be found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.
IUCN Category List
Not yet assessed
Source
Widyawati T, Purnawan WW, Atangwho IJ, Yusoff NA, Ahmad M, Asmawi MZ. Anti-diabetic activity of Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) leaf extract, the most commonly used herb among diabetic patients in Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia. Int J Pharm Sci Res 2015;6:1698.
Date
3 May 2023
Contributor
Aiman Aizat Bin Mohd Naziran
BIDARA UTHM Item Type Metadata
Species
polyanthum (Wight) Walp.
Genus
Syzgium
Family
Myrtaceae
Order
Myrtales
Collection
Citation
“Syzygium polyanthum,” BIDARA, accessed July 16, 2025, https://bidara.uthm.edu.my/items/show/985.