Melastoma dodecandrum aka Melastoma Dodecandrum

Melastoma dodecandrum is a low shrub in the Melastomataceae family. It keeps its leaves all year. It comes from southern China and northern Vietnam. Records also place it in Hong Kong. It grows in open grassland, scrub, and hillside thickets. It also grows in fields and along trail edges. Sources give different upper height limits for its wild sites. These range from about 2,625 feet [800 metres] to 4,265 feet [1,300 metres].

The plant creeps along the ground and forms a dense mat. Its stems turn woody as they grow. Reported heights range from about 0.7–1 foot [0.2–0.3 metres]. Both sources class it among the lowest shrubs. Neither gives a measured width for a full-grown plant. Its low, spreading shape adds interest near a woodland edge. The sources do not describe its leaf shape or bark. They give no flower colour either.

Plants For A Future gives June to July as flowering time. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees visit the flowers and spread their pollen. Seeds ripen from August to September. The fruit is a small berry, 3–7 millimetres across. Evidence for this species does not show that people can eat its berries. Plants For A Future lists no known food use. The Tropical Plants Database notes possible use as food. But it gives no firm account for this species.

Plants For A Future lists sun and light shade as suitable. It lists sandy soil, loam, and clay as suitable too. Its stated pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. It says the plant prefers moist soil when grown in gardens. Wild records place it in both dry and wet grassland. How well it withstands British cold is not clear. Neither source gives a tested temperature limit. Both list seed as the way to grow new plants. The Tropical Plants Database says to sow fresh seed. It suggests pots or a nursery bed.

Local people gather wild plants for use as medicine. Records list astringent remedies for diarrhoea and dysentery. Accounts name roots, leaves, flowering tops, berries, and the whole plant. They also list washes for cuts and wounds. These accounts record past use, not proof that treatment is safe. Both databases report no known hazards. Neither gives a full review of toxic effects. Neither names pests or diseases.