Did you know that our common Senduduk (Melastoma malabathricum) or Straits Rhododendron has as many as 2000 species? In Malaysia, however, only 12 species have been discovered although botanists believe that there are more waiting to be found in the still forested areas of our country. The common deep purple one which we see in Malaysia actually many herbal uses in Indian, Malay, Chinese and Indonesian folk medicine. Its leaves, shoots, bark, seeds and roots are all possessed of special properties which are used by folk medicinal practitioners to relieve such things as inflamation and diarrhoea. However, the Senduduk also has cytotoxic, antioxidant and wound healing properties.
One of the plants in the Melastomataceae family that are commonly used in Malay folk medicine is Melastoma malabathricum Linn., which actually comprises two subspecies. Commonly found in lowland as well as mountain forests, cleared land and even by the road side, the Senduduk can range from a deep purple to a delicate pink or a creamy white. Its native names are many, for example in Chinese it is called the ye mu dan while in Malaysia, it is also sometimes called the Kenduduk though there are even more local names for it in Indonesia. Locally, it has been used traditionally to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhoids, cuts and wounds, toothache, stomachache, flatulence, and even sore legs. Some sources have said that it is one of the components of the famous Chinese po chi wan, which are usually used to treat stomach aches and diarrhoea.
Usually, the leaves are chewed up, pounded and applied as a paste on cuts or wounds or else they are finely chopped up and squeezed to let the juice fall onto wounds to stop bleeding. In Indian folk medicine, the leaves can also be used to prevent scarring from smallpox, to treat dysentery, aw well as piles The shoots are also said to be eaten as a cure for high blood pressure and diabetes. In the old days, the juice from the shoots were used as a mouthwash to relieve a toothache while the leaves were used for treat ulcers, scars, pimples and blackheads on the skin.
At our Outreach centre, we use Senduduk flowers, leaves and stalks to make pretty prints on t-shirts and bags. It is not an easy art for beginners to master, however, so we have classes on Saturday for those who would like to learn.
Saturday was a busy day with our member, Ann Loh, dropping by to try out a western-watercolour T-shirt painting technique. 
We took a short break while waiting for the dye to dry and then Ann finished off the painting with the darkest greens and purples on the plants. The entire process took nearly three hours but it was worth it, don't you think?
