The நொச்சி (மூவிலை) Vitex trifolia seen at Kranji Loop, Singapore
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- R. Sabapathy
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- சாதி மல்லி பூச்சரமே, சங்கத் தமிழ் பாச்சரமே..
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The vitex trifolia is new to me never seen that one but is beautiful - it must be beautiful if its in front of my house like purple bush. its nice
ReplyDeleteNita
Nita, thank you for droping by my blog. The Vitex was a common house plant during the kampong days. If you want to keep it in your corridor, keep pruning it when it gets too big.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese use them for relieving fever; they drink the juice. In Siddha medicine, the fragrant leaves are strewn on the bed (maybe under the sheets) to induce sleep - aromatherapy, the Indian style.
Propagated by cuttings, easy to grow, pest and disease resistant, free flowering,heavily branched, etc. It can grow to a tall bush. You can see one reaching over 5 metres tall at Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre, Serangoon Road.
Perhaps, we must urge the National Parks Board to bring back this plant. They can be planted along the highways or places with less human movement, not close to walkways - the branches may 'interfere' with those human beings. Let's see how!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDear Thamil,
ReplyDeleteAs your comment may cause some readers to misunderstand you, I am putting it 'on hold' till I can find some answers.
But keep coming here and keep commenting. Your feedback is very important!
அண்ணா, வணக்கம். உங்கள் பக்கங்கள் அருமை. தொடருங்கள் உங்கள் பணியை. அன்புடன், செந்தில்
ReplyDeleteநன்றி, ஐயா செந்தில் அவர்க்ளே. அடிக்கடி இங்கே வந்து என்னை பார்த்துவிட்டுப் போங்களய்யா. இன்னும் பல படங்களை போட்டுக் காட்டவிருக்கிறேன்!
ReplyDeleteஅன்புடன்... சபாபதி
Hi Mr R Sabapathy,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Sreemanee Raaj and I'm a 4th year undergraduate student at the Dept. Pharmacy at NUS. I'm currently doing a study on the medicinal properties of Vitex trifolia. Hence, I stumbled upon your blog and the lovely pictures while searching for the plant on google. I was wondering if you could help telling me exactly where in Kranji Loop was this plant spotted.
Thank you very much!
Dear Raaj,
ReplyDeleteTbank you for dropping by my blog.
The Vitex bush in the picture was seen some time ago at Kranji Loop. If you go by Kranji Road to a juction where it meets Kranji Loop and Kranji Way, you will see some shophouses and some a food court. There is a Chinese Temple, the Chek Chai Long Chuen Temple next to the shophouses. This bush was seen on the grass patch between the Temple and the shophouses. It may not be there now, but you can spot many individuals of the Vitex trifolia all over Singapore.
At the moment, I am looking at some of the Vitex bushes planted by the residents along the canal next to Blocks 214 and 215 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh.
You can come and see them too.
R. Sabapathy
Dear Mr R. Sabapathy,
ReplyDeleteMuch thanks for the information. I greatly appreciate it. I took a trip down to Kranji today but only managed to find some very small saplings of the plant, at the grass patch in between the temple and the food court. But nonetheless, I will try going over to Toa Payoh to have a look as well.
Once again, thanks very much for your help.
Happy pongal!
Raaj
Dear Mr Sabapathy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the valuable information provided. I was just wondering where else might I be able to spot Vitex trifolia in Singapore (besides Kranji, Toa Payoh and Umar Pulavar Tamil School). My project involves studying the distribution of Vitex trifolia in Singapore so I thought it would be wise to ask you before I go hunting all around.
Thank you very much!
Raaj
My Dear Raaj,
ReplyDeleteI would rate the Vitex trifolia as a fairly common plant in Singapore, the reason for me not logging all of their occurences.
And I see that the urban planters like the National Parks Board, Town Councils, Managments of commercial and residential properties are not keen on this plant. Probable reason being the plant branches profusely and persistently that it becomes difficult to prune to a pleasant shape and it would not keep to its 'allocated space'.
The reason for this behavior, I guess, is due to the inviduals being grown from stem cuttings. Seed grown plants grow upright, with less branching at the base to give a tree-like look. Maybe, the National Parks Board should give it a try.
Anyway, the likely places you will encounter the Vitex trifolia are:
Hindu Temples.
One infront of the gopuram of Veeramakaliamman Temple, Serangoon Raad.
Inside the compound of Srinivasa Perumal Temple, Serangoon Road.
In the perimeter planting bed of Arasakesari Sivan Temple, Sungei Kadut Avenue.
I did not venture into any other Hindu Temple, but you can go and see. The chances are high.
They are also common in Chinese Temples, both Buddhist and Toaist, I remember seeing one at Tse Tho Aum Temple at Sin Ming Drive.
There is large bush behind the motor worshops at No 5 Defu Lane 10. Likewise, you can spot the Vitex in industrial areas like, Eunos Industrial Estate, Ubi, Ang Mo Kio Industial Esate 2.
Private Residiantal Estates.
There is a bush in one of the terrace houses along Serangoon Avenue 1, opposite Serangoon Terrace (house No 53B, according to my records)
Seen also in a few houses in Kew Crescent, off Bedok Road.
If you go to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, you can see a few bushes behind urinals in the men's toilet - at the main entrance. It is a open concept toilet.
I did not check women's toilet, maybe the Vitex grows there too - it is a bisexual plant.
I hope this will be a lead enough for you to start. Happy hunting.
Hi Mr Sabapathy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your help and directions! I had a great time visiting some of the locations recently - it felt a little like treasure hunting! It interesting that that Vitex trifolia is commonly found in and around temples. I'm not sure exactly why this is so though.
Raaj
Sir, Iam Dr. Muthu from Tamilnadu, India. Your blog was so useful for us to teach it to our children. Thank you once again sir
ReplyDelete