Callicarpa argentii 

Callicarpa argentii is restricted to the province Kalimantan Tengah (Central Kalimantan), in the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo.

This rainforest species is a small tree, 3 to 10 m tall. The twigs and leaves have patent red-brown hairs and red or yellow glands. The leaves are elliptical to obovate (egg-shaped with the narrow end at the base) with toothed margins. The flowers are white and tubular with four lobes, and the calyx has red-brown hairs. There are four stamens, which are shortly exserted from the flower. The fruit is fleshy and green when young, then red when mature, with eight one-seeded segments.

Callicarpa argentii is known from areas of forest in Central Kalimantan where logging is taking place, or had taken place at the time of collection. It was observed by George Argent (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh), the botanist after whom the species is named and the collector of the type specimen. He found this species regenerating in the secondary regrowth at the side of a logging road. These habitats are very mobile and often transient so although it was abundant when he collected it, it could easily disappear with subsequent colonisation. It is for this reason, and because it is known from an area less than 5000 km² in size, that the IUCN conservation status for C. argentii is ‘endangered’.

Several relatives of Callicarpa argentii, originating from Indochina, China and Japan, can be found growing in the Gardens. If you are lucky enough to see these plants in the autumn, you will notice their striking bright purple fruits: with this in mind it is easy to see why the genus got its name; Callicarpa means ‘beautiful fruit’.

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