Introduction

Dillenia (Simpoh or Simpor or Simpur) is a genus of 100

species of flowering plants in the family Dilleniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of southern Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean islands.
The genus is named after the German botanist Johann

Jacob Dillenius, and consists of evergreen or semievergreen trees and shrubs.

Dillenia is widespread in Brunei and can grow in various

habitats.

Scientific Classification
Kingdom
Sub-kingdom Vascular Plants Superdivision Seed Plants Division Flowering Plants Class

Dicotyledons Subclass

Plantae Tracheobiont a Spermatophy ta Magnoliophy ta Magnoliopsid a Dillenidae

Bunga Simpur
Bunga Simpur is Brunei official national flower.
There are two species representing the Brunei

National Flower: Dillenia beccariana and Dillenia suffruticosa.

Dillenia beccariana

Dillenia suffruticosa.

Bunga Simpur
This plant can be found in abundance in the wild.

It is a wild plant which has big leaves that are usually

used for wrapping meat or rice during the days when paper and plastic are not readily available.

Uses of Bunga Simpur

Used as treatment for wounds (helps greatly in

stopping bleeding).
It is also used in Bruneian art known as Ayer Muleh",

an artistic design for decoration of handicrafts.

Its large leaves are used as food wrappers and platters.

Dillenia beccariana
Is a species of a small tree fairly common along the

rivers of Brunei, especially the Temburong River.

Dillenia suffruticosa
Is another Simpor species that is widespread in Brunei

and can grow in various habitats. It is a species that can be seen in the white sands of Brunei (serves as the colonizer of the sands).

Simpoh Air Dillenia/Wormia suffruticosa

It grows vigorously on eroded soil, wasteland, forest

edges and swampy areas. Everything about it is large. It has large leaves, and large yellow flowers. The flowers open at 3 am and last only a day. They are pollinated by bees which collect its pollen (the flowers don't produce nectar or a scent) or by small beetles and flies that scramble over it. Almost every flower sets fruit.

Simpoh Air Dillenia/Wormia suffruticosa

The unopened fruits are surrounded by thick red

sepals. To distinguish them from flower buds, the fruits face upwards while flower buds face down. The ripe fruit splits open also at 3 am, into pinkish star-shaped segments to reveal seeds covered in red arils.

The plant blooms from age 3-4 and can live for 50-100

years!

Uses of Simpoh Air Dillenia/Wormia suffruticosa

The large leaves of the Simpoh Air were used to wrap

food such as tempeh (fermented soyabean cakes), or formed into shallow cones to contain traditional "fast food" such as rojak.

Uses of Simpoh Air Dillenia/Wormia suffruticosa

It is used to stop bleeding wounds. The fruit pulp may be used to wash the hair (Brunei).

It provides food and shelter for other plants and

creatures.
It sends out very deep tap roots to reach underground

water sources (some people use the plant as a guide to decide where to dig a well).

Distribution of Dillenia species in Brunei

1. Dillenia beccariana (Martelli)
- Borneo endemic. Locally common on the clay slopes in the lower

Temburong and Batu Apoi valleys, in the Ulu Tutong and at Tasik Merimbun.

2. Dillenia borneensis (Hoogland)

- Found rare in Brunei: on clay soils in mixed dipterocarp forest at 300m in temburong District.

Distribution of Dillenia species in Brunei

3. Dillenia excelsa (jack) Gilg
- Throughout Brunei: especially in moist valleys and lower slopes.

4. Dillenia grandifolia (Wallich) - Uncommon in Brunei:known from Ulu Ingei and Andulau Forest reserve, Belait, and Kuala Belalong, Amo.

Distribution of Dillenia species in Brunei

5. Dillenia indica (Linnaeus)
- Not native in Brunei: sometimes cultivated.

6. Dillenia reticulata (king)

- Locally frequent on sandy soils in the floodplains of the streams within Andulau Forest Reserve in Brunei, and in Ulu Belait.

Distribution of Dillenia species in Brunei

7. Dillenia pulchella (Jack)Gilg - Mixed peatswamp forest and swampy kerangas, in Brunei especially near the coast.

Distribution of Dillenia species in Brunei

8. Dillenia suffruticosa (Griffith)martelli - Abundant on degraded land, often where covering from fire; also common in river banks and other open place, especially downriver and on poor soils.

Distribution of Dillenia species in Brunei

9. Dillenia sumatrana (miquel) - Common in Brunei: in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest on leached sandy and sandy clay soils -Belait and Tutong districts but far not from Temburong.

Pictures of Bunga Simpur found

$1 note of Brunei

$10 recharge card of DST

$5 phone card of JTB

Telecommunication of Brunei Foodstall in Kuala Belait