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Flora

The main primary forest types in Ulu Muda are lowland dipterocarp forest, hill dipterocarp forest and upper hill dipterocarp forest. It was revealed by researchers of UKM (Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia) and UM (Universiti Malaya) that Ulu Muda harbours 107 species of mosses.

While traveling upstream on a boat into the interior of Ulu Muda and walking along the many trails, it would be a mistake to only look out for animals. While tropical rainforests such as Ulu Muda may not have many large, showy flowers more typical of temperate climates, there is much to appreciate for those with a discerning eye. Some of the flora attractions of Ulu Muda are highlighted here.

Bungor trees (Lagerstroemia spp.) with large bunches of conspicuous purple or lilac flowers are frequently sighted along lakeshores and large rivers. Cultivated varieties of bungor trees are common in cities and towns as ornamentals.

The kasai tree (Pometia pinnata) with attractive reddish young leaves is common along river banks. Like the bungor, it is now widely used as an ornamental tree in urban landscaping. This tree belongs to the same family as the rambutan and the fruits are edible.

Along smaller river tributaries, during certain times of the year, gapis trees(Saraca spp. )are covered with bright orange flowers that are a visual feast in the sea of green.

One remarkable flowering tree that can sometimes be observed while walking in the forest is Polyalthia cauliflora, locally known as janggut keli ("catfish whiskers"). This tree, which is from the same family as the kenanga or ylang ylang, has flowers with long narrow petals that appear in clumps directly from its trunk.

Ulu Muda has a rich diversity of wild edible fruit trees including kundang (Bouea oppositifolia), wild mangoes (Mangifera caesia, M. griffithii and M. quadrifida), wild rambai (Baccaurea macrocarpa, B. parviflora, B. polyneura and B. reticulata), perah (Elateriospermum tapos), chestnut or berangan (Castanopsis inermis), asam gelugor (Garcinia atroviridis), langsat (Lansium domesticum), wild rambutan (Nephelium cuspidatum) and kembang semangkok (Scaphium linearicarpum).

Medicine Chest

It has been said that the rainforest is nature's drugstore and Ulu Muda is no different. Apart from the run-of-the-mill medicinal plants such as Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), kacip Fatimah (Labisia pumila) and hempedu beruang (Thottea grandifolia) there are also less familiar medicinal plants, some of which have evocative names such as pecah kelambu ("mosquito net breaker", Dracaena elliptica), bujang hilir ("downriver bachelor", Peliosanthes teta) and susu ayam ("chicken's milk", Paramigya lobata).

A brief survey of the medicinal plants of Ulu Muda documented the presence of at least 56 species that were used by local communities in the surrounding areas. There are six main ways how plants are used in traditional medicine - boiled and drunk as a tonic, eaten raw, used in a bath, as poultice, rubbed directly and smoked like a cigarette. Some plants are used to treat more than one ailment - for example, kacip Fatimah is used for hemorrhoids, rheumatism and recovery after childbirth.

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Next: Read about fauna