The Singapore Rhododendron or the Melastoma malabathricum (melastoma is Greek for "black mouth") or Sendudok in Malay grows to 1 meter tall it has reddish and small rough scales. They have narrow leaves with 3 veins they have 5 petals dark purple to pinkish; on rare occasions, white. They have Oval Fruits with purple pulp which contains many tiny seeds. It is found in Madagascar, India to Australia. Very common in Southeast Asia. The beautiful flowers last only one day, opening after sunrise, closing the same day, with the petals falling off on the a few days later. The fruit of the Singapore Rhododendron is oval with purple pulp and contains many tiny seeds. The leaves have medicinal uses such as to treat diarrhoea and dysentery (Malaysia, Indonesia); wash for ulcers, to prevent scarring from smallpox; and to treat piles. As a result, this flower is a rarity as it closes very quickly.
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