''Desmos chinensis'' is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

of the

custard-apple Custard apple is a common name for a fruit and for the tree that bears it, ''Annona reticulata.'' The tree’s fruits vary in shape; they may be heart-shaped, spherical, oblong or irregular. Their size ranges from 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 i ...

family,

Annonaceae The Annonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family. With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest ...

. The yellowish-green flowers are similar to the

Ylang-ylang ''Cananga odorata'', known as ylang-ylang ( ) or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Thailand and Viet ...

flowers, therefore this plant is sometimes known as dwarf ylang-ylang. Their smell, however, is much less strong and is only felt in the morning. By midday it has mostly faded away.

Description and habitat

It is a vine or spreading shrub that may grow up to 4 m high if it finds an adequate support, otherwise it rarely grows taller than 150 cm. Its pollen is shed as permanent tetrads.Walker JW (1971) Pollen Morphology, Phytogeography, and Phylogeny of the Annonaceae. Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University, 202: 1-130. ''Desmos chinensis'' is found throughout

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

from

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It grows at the edge of forests in flat areas at elevations up to 600 m. It may grow as a

ruderal A ruderal species is a plant species that is first to colonize disturbed lands. The disturbance may be natural for example, wildfires or avalanchesor the consequences of human activities, such as construction ( of roads, of buildings, mining, et ...

plant on the sides of roads, rural causeways and other disturbed terrain. It thrives in slightly shady places. This tree is commonly used within the

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

urban landscape. ''Desmos chinensis'' is used to create shade along various sidewalks and bus stops. It is widely utilised in city settings, due to its dense leaf growth which provides cool shade, a relatively thin trunk and a root system that doesn't break sidewalk pavement.

References

External links

Plants of the Malay Peninsula - ''Desmos chinensis'' Lour.Butterflycircle - Desmos chinensis, Dwarf Ylang Ylang
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1021966 Annonaceae Flora of tropical Asia Medicinal plants of Asia