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Myristica insipida
Myristicaceae FAMILY

Myristica insipida

Myristica insipida

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no hard evidence of toxicity for this species is available, it is rather sobering to remember that the related Myristica fragrans (commercial Nutmeg) is toxic when taken in large quantities and can induce narcotic symptoms in smaller quantities[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

Members of this genus are mainly understorey and canopy trees of primary woodland. They need the shade of woodland, especially when young, though can often tolerate more open positions as they grow larger. They usually succeed on a range of soil types. Most species have a superficial root system and are best grown in positions sheltered from strong winds[2]. Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[3]. Flowers are produced at the end of the branches[2]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - dries out easily, loses its viability rapidly, and cannot be stored. It is best sown in a shaded position in a nursery seedbed - germination is usually fairly quick with the seed of most species sprouting within 2 - 17 weeks[2, 4]. Grow the young plants on in a shady position, planting them out in their permanent positions when large enough. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Myristica+insipida>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants — http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html ↩︎An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
  2. [2]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
  3. [3]Flora Malesiana Series 1 — Various · Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch · http://www.archive.org ↩︎A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
  4. [4]The Gardens' Bulletin Vol. 23 — Botanic Gardens Park and Recreation Department; Singapore · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎A botanical journal, this one contains a revision of the genus Myristica.
  5. [5]Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607. — Chudnoff. Martin. · USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin. · 1984 ↩︎Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
  6. [6]Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Vols 1 - 6 — Soepadmo E.; Saw L.G.; Chung R.C.K. (Editors) · Forest Research Institute Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur. · 2002 · ISBN 983-2181-27-5 ↩︎A flora of the woody plants of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, often giving details of plant uses.