Scaevola taccada is a flowering plant commonly known as sea lettuce or locally, it is known as merambong. Scaevola, is the sole pan-tropic genus, ranging west to India, Pakistan and Madagascar and east to Micronesia, Melanesia and Hawaii. Despite its aesthetic appearance, this species is classified as an invasive species in the United States as it is competing and pushing another species away from its native habitat.
This species is a very salt and wind tolerant, inhabiting areas of high salinity and can be found primarily in sandy, or in partially rocky or muddy, shorelines and coastal dune soils, sometimes right down to the high tide mark. It is a large shrub with smooth, shiny leaves of a pleasant light green colour and attractive ‘half flowers’ (flowers with a dorsally split corolla tube) that are white with brownish red stripes. The fruits are fleshy berries developed from the green calyx and ripen to a creamy, white drupe. Medicinally, it is known to treat asthma, beri-beri, eye infections, and indigestion among others and has ornamental potentials due to its attractive light green foliage beside flowering and fruiting throughout the year.
No | Description | Suitability | Seasonality |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Vegetation → Coastal Vegetation
|
Unknown | Unknown |
Year Published | Assessment | Red List Category | Version |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Malaysia Plant Red List |
Least Concern (LC)
Peninsular Malaysia
|
3.1 |
2013 | Peninsular Malaysia Plant Red List |
Least Concern (LC)
|
N/A |
Collection Center | Dried | Live | Slide | Wet | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 |
Profile | |
---|---|
Ahmad Aldrie Amir (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution, Forest, History, Law and Policy, Management, Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas & Science
|
Alona Cuevas Linatoc (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Anisah Lee Abdullah (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
|
Coral Reefs, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Geoinformatics, Management, Marine & Coastal, Protected Areas, Science, Technology & Water
|
Asyraf Mansor (Dr.)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
|
Palms, Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Evolution & Forest
|
Avelinah Julius (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Cheah Yih Horng (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Moss, Vascular,
Biodiversity & Systematics
|
Chong Ju Lian (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Vascular (Ecology),
Invasive Alien Species, Protected Areas, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Marine & Coastal & Climate Change
|
E. Soepadmo (Prof.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Vascular,
|
|
John Baptist Sugau (Mr.)
Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Kartini Binti Saibeh (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
|
Vascular,
Agriculture, Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Lau Kah Hoo (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular, Ginger,
Conservation
|
Lillian Chua Swee Lian (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Conservation
|
Lim Chung Lu (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Mahani Bt. Mansor Clyde (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Vascular,
|
Mohamad Azani Alias (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy), Vascular, Vascular, Amphibians, Amphibians,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Climate Change, Protected Areas & Forest
|
Mohd Fahmi Abu Bakar (Ts. Dr.)
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)
|
Vascular,
Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Evolution, Genetics, Molecular & Systematics
|
Mohd Nazre Salleh @ Japri (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity
|
Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli (Dr.)
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
|
Vascular, Pitcher plants,
Agriculture, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Science, Systematics & Taxonomy
|
Nadiah Idris (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Nazahatul Anis Amaludin (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Nor Ezzawanis Abdullah Thani (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
|
Norzielawati Bt. Salleh (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity, Forest & Molecular
|
Nur Kyariatul Syafinie Abdul Majid (Ms.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Forest & Protected Areas
|
Nur Supardi Md Noor (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Palms, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest & Management
|
Ong Poh Teck (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy), Orchids,
|
Rafidah Abdul Rahman (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Richard Chung Cheng Kong (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Rusea Go (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
|
Orchids (Taxonomy), Vascular (Taxonomy), Vascular (Ecology),
Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Forest, Management, Protected Areas, Climate Change & Invasive Alien Species
|
Sam Yen Yen (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy), Ginger,
|
Saw Leng Guan (Dr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Shamsul Khamis (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
Taxonomy
|
Siti Aishah Abdullah (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Vascular,
|
Siti Munirah Mat Yunoh (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
Marine & Coastal
|
Suhaida Mustafa (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Conservation
|
Syahida Emiza Suhaimi (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
|
Syazwani Bt. Azeman (Mrs.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity, Forest & Science
|
Tam Sheh May (Dr.)
Taylor's University
|
Orchids, Vascular,
Biodiversity, Data Analysis, Evolution, Genetics & Molecular
|
Tan Swee Lian (Dr.)
Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM)
|
Vascular (Ecology),
Agriculture & Biodiversity
|
Ummul Nazrah Abdul Rahman (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular (Taxonomy),
|
Wendy Yong Sze Yee (Ms.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Conservation & Biodiversity
|
Yao Tze Leong (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Vascular,
Biodiversity & Ecosystems
|
Yong Kien Thai (Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Moss, Vascular (Taxonomy), Ferns (Taxonomy),
Protected Areas, Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution & Taxonomy
|
Acknowledgements :- Mr. Ahmad Amir Firdaus Bin Mad Apandi, Ms. Ainul Aqilah Binti Mohd Nasir, Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom, Mr. Badrul Amin Bin Jaffar, Mr. Mohamad Ikhmal Husin, Ms. Noorkhalilie Binti Che Abd Aziz, Ms. Nur Farahin Binti Mustafa, Ms. Nurfadzilah Bt Azmi, Ms. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Ms. Nurul Aimi Amirah Binti Mohd Zaki, Ms. Nurul Aliya Imra Asyikin Binti Abd Murad, Ms. Siti Zubaidah Binti Abdul Latif, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Photo credit :- Rafidah Abdul Rahman
Species Citation :- Scaevola taccada. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/34746. [Retrieved 11 December 2023].
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