Malpighia coccigera L.

Malpighia coccigera or mirten (miniature holly) is native to the West Indies and is popularly cultivated as an ornamental in tropical and subtropical gardens for its compact shape and holly-like leaves, often used as bonsai or a spiny dwarf hedge. Traditionally, mirten is also believed to be effective for lowering high blood pressure, treating boils, and supporting liver detoxification.

In tropical America, mirten can be found in the understory of tropical forests or on rocky hillsides near rivers with fertile soil. This plant is tolerant of various soil types. Grows best in moist but well-drained soil, in full sun or shade. Five hours of morning sunlight during winter is ideal, and in summer this plant can tolerate filtered sunlight or shade.

• Stem has straight twigs extending densely with leaves so it appears bushy.
• Leaves simple or unifoliate, thick, glossy green, arranged opposite, petiolate, oval shaped with a rounded base, margin wavy with a spine at the tip of each lobe, resembling holly leaves.
• Flowers pink, white, trumpet-shaped, with 5 small petals. Flowers appear in the leaf axils.
• Fruit a red berry, smooth and glossy surface, fleshy, seeded.

Plant propagation through seed and stem cuttings.

Saponins, the alkaloid trigonelline, steroids, sapogenin, diosgenin, gitogenin, tigogenin, yamogenin, trillin, diosin, the flavonoid vitexin.

Lowers high blood pressure, treats boils, increases cytotoxic activity against liver cancer cells but not normal liver cells, general detoxification and removes toxins from the liver, stops vomiting caused by stomach heat, addresses restlessness, insomnia, a stiff tongue, difficulty speaking, rheumatism, hepatitis, relieves heat, reduces swelling and phlegm.

Daun selaput, Daun serut, Kelingkit taiwan.