Native Plants
Abroma augustum
Devil's Cotton
Taxonomy
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Kingdom
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Division
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Specific Epithetaugustum (L.) L.f.
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Vernacular Name
- Devil's Cotton (English)
- Kapas Hantu (Malay)
- Rami Sengat (Malay)
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ResidentialNative
The taxonomic status is pending for approval
Description
Abroma augustum or Devil’s Cotton is called kapas hantu or rami sengat in Malaysia. The name 'Abroma' comes from classical Greek meaning ‘a’ without and 'broma' is food, probably referring to the fruits or seed that are not edible. Kapas hantu is common in many parts of India, throughout SE Asia to S China, and through Indonesia to the Solomon Islands and N. Australia. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is recorded from Perak, Selangor, Kelantan and Pahang (Rafidah & Syahida-Emiza, 2013).
Kapas hantu is an erect shrub or small tree which can grow to 10 m tall. The leaves and stems are covered with soft bristly hairs that are very irritating to touch. The leaves are spirally arranged or distichous and are highly variable with two main forms, either 3–5-lobed or simple, lanceolate unlobed ones. Its flowers are bisexual. It has five spoon-shaped petals, each with a concave base. The lanceolate petals are white, dark purple, red or yellow with a ciliate margin. The fruits are obconical. The seeds are numerous, blackish, small, cylindrical to obovoid without wings or an aril.
When the stems are cut, new shoots may emerge from buds in the axils of the leaf scars at the base of the plant. In Malaysia, kapas hantu grows in lowland and hill secondary forest below 1200 m altitude, on forest edges, waste places, bordering villages and along the roads. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is often found near limestone.
Biodiversity Experts
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Ahmad Aldrie Amir (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
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Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution, Forest, History, Law and Policy, Management, Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas & Science
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Alona Cuevas Linatoc (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)
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Vascular,
Biodiversity & Conservation
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Anisah Lee Abdullah (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
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Coral Reefs, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Geoinformatics, Management, Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas, Science, Technology & Water
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Asyraf Mansor (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
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Palms, Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution & Forest
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Avelinah Julius (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Cheah Yih Horng (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Moss, Vascular,
Biodiversity & Systematics
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Chong Ju Lian (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
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Mammals (Ecology), Vascular (Ecology),
Invasive Alien Species, Protected Areas, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Marine & Coastal & Climate Change
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E. Soepadmo (Prof.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
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Vascular,
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John Baptist Sugau (Mr.)
Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Kartini Binti Saibeh (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
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Vascular,
Agriculture, Biodiversity & Conservation
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Lau Kah Hoo (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular, Ginger,
Conservation
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Lillian Chua Swee Lian (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
Conservation
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Lim Chung Lu (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Mahani Bt. Mansor Clyde (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
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Vascular,
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Mohamad Azani Alias (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy), Vascular, Vascular, Amphibians, Amphibians,
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Mohd Fahmi Abu Bakar (Ts. Dr.)
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)
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Vascular,
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Mohd Nazre Salleh @ Japri (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
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Vascular,
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Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli (Dr.)
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
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Vascular, Pitcher plants,
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Nadiah Idris (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Nazahatul Anis Amaludin (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
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Vascular (Ecology),
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Nor Ezzawanis Abdullah Thani (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Norzielawati Bt. Salleh (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
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Nur Kyariatul Syafinie Abdul Majid (Ms.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
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Vascular (Ecology),
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Nur Supardi Md Noor (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Palms, Vascular,
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Ong Poh Teck (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy), Orchids,
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Rafidah Abdul Rahman (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Richard Chung Cheng Kong (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Rusea Go (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
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Orchids (Taxonomy), Vascular (Taxonomy), Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Forest, Management, Protected Areas, Climate Change & Invasive Alien Species
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Sam Yen Yen (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy), Ginger,
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Saw Leng Guan (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
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Shamsul Khamis (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
Taxonomy
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Siti Aishah Abdullah (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
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Vascular,
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Siti Munirah Mat Yunoh (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
Marine & Coastal
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Suhaida Mustafa (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Ecology),
Conservation
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Syahida Emiza Suhaimi (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
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Syazwani Bt. Azeman (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
Biodiversity, Forest & Science
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Tam Sheh May (Dr.)
Taylor's University
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Orchids, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Data Analysis, Evolution, Genetics & Molecular
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Tan Swee Lian (Dr.)
Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM)
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Vascular (Ecology),
Agriculture & Biodiversity
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Ummul Nazrah Abdul Rahman (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular (Taxonomy),
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Wendy Yong Sze Yee (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
Conservation & Biodiversity
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Yao Tze Leong (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
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Vascular,
Biodiversity & Ecosystems
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Yong Kien Thai (Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Moss, Vascular (Taxonomy), Ferns (Taxonomy),
Protected Areas, Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution & Taxonomy
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PM - Peninsular Malaysia; SBH - Sabah; SWK - Sarawak; SEA - Southeast Asia; W - World;
References
Acknowledgements :- Mrs. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Species Citation :- Abroma augustum. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/8583. [Retrieved 27 April 2024].
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