Pittossporum pentandrum
PITTOSPORACEAE. Indigenous
SIZE: Up to 10m tall; trunk size 10-15cm diameter
TYPE: Evergreen
HABITAT: Thickets and secondary forest at low and medium altitudes
The Mamalis, whose fruit is clustered like orange grapes, is used in the production of wooden beads for ethnic-inspired jewelry. The fruit yields an oil, which is used in baths by women after childbirth. Author Margaret Barwick, in her book Tropical and Subtropical Trees, classified Mamalis as endemic to the Philippines, and described the fruit as “bright, waxy and perfect…they look artificial and are pinned on for decoration”.