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Heritage Trees of Singapore
CentralAdenanthera malayana subsp. malayana2023

Adenanthera malayana subsp. malayana (HT 2023-323)

This Heritage Tree can be found in Singapore Botanic Garden, Gallop Green.

A large group of tree stands beside a white building with a red roof and large red seed sculptures.

📷: Brendon Phuah

Heritage Tree Information

Reference ID
HT 2023-323

Scientific name: Adenanthera malayana subsp. malayana
Family name: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Girth: 2.4 m @ 1.3 m height
Height: 18 m

Location
Singapore Botanic Gardens, Gallop Green (View Map) (opens in new tab)

Adenanthera malayana subsp. malayana is a tall, evergreen tree that can reach up to 45 m in height. It has a dark green, heavy crown supported by wide-spreading limbs, and light brownish grey bark that is lightly cracked and fissured. The bipinnate leaves comprise of 2 to 3 pairs of pinnae, each with 3-5 large, oblong, and thinly leathery leaflets, usually with a pointed tip.

The species produces racemes of small, faintly fragrant, white flowers that eventually turn yellow over time. The fruit pod twists into a spiral before turning purplish-black and splitting open when ripe. Each fruit contains about 10 red and black glossy seeds.

This species is related to the better-known Saga (Adenanthera pavonina) (opens in new tab) and the species can be differentiated from each other by the rounded tips on its leaflets and the uniformly red coloured seeds of the Saga. Adenanthera malayana subsp. malayana is an endangered species in Singapore.

This Heritage Tree, the tallest among the cluster of three, can be found on the lawn between the Forest Discovery Centre (Atbara) and the Botanical Art Gallery (Inverturret), which are among some of the Singapore's oldest-surviving colonial houses. An old aerial photograph from the 1950s shows what appears to be this Heritage Tree, making it at least 70 years old. This Heritage tree had a girth of 3.1 m when it was endorsed in 2023.

For more information on this species, please refer to NParks' Flora & Fauna Web profile (opens in new tab).