Characteristics of Santigi Tree (Pemphis acidula)
In Indonesia this tree is called Santigi or Cantigi, which is a species of Pemphis acidula in the Lythraceae family, native to coastal Southeast Asia.
This species was first described by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1775.
Santigi is a tree that grows naturally in sandy, calcareous soil, in rock crevices, and is tolerant of sea water. It has small, fleshy leaves like the jade plant, but thinner.
This tree requires special treatment if you plan to make it into a bonsai, one of which is the environment that should not be too far from the beach. Why? Pemphis acidula needs the saltwater dew from the crashing seawater and the hot sun to stay healthy. So, if you move this tree downtown, you’ll need to spray seawater, every day.
Alternatively, you can purchase seeds grown from seed, seeds grown from seed do not require saltwater. But waiting for growth is tedious because Pemphis acidula grows relatively slowly.
In its original place, the santigi tree grows as a shrub that is between 1-5 meters high. This tree is easy to find along the coast of Indonesia, the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean, and the central Pacific Ocean.
When it was brought to China, the santigi tree spread to Taiwan and Japan. On Madagascar, the species growing there is Pemphis madagascariensis, but in current taxonomy it belongs to the genus Koehneria.
In English-speaking countries, Pemphis acidula is known as Ironwood mangrove or Bantigue. In Japan it is called ミズガンピ and in China it is known as 水芫花.
Characteristics of Santigi Leaves
Leaves, twigs, and inflorescences are covered with fine hairs. The leaves are opposite, almost sessile, thick, elliptical to lanceolate, and 1-3 cm long.
Characteristics of Santigi Flower
The flowers are regular, hexagonal, single or two and appear in the leaf axils. The flower crown is white or pink which consists of 6 petals.
Characteristics of Santigi Fruit
The fruit is a capsule, 4-6 mm long, when ripe it opens and the seeds are spread by the wind and sea water.
Characteristics of Santigi Tree
The santigi tree grows to form a large shrub to a maximum height of 5 meters (rarely 7 meters), with rough, split and twisted bark.
The bark is gray in color, but that can wear off as it has been eroded by the waves and day-long sun over many years, leaving it with little bark.
Because they often grow with an extreme appearance that suits the aesthetics of bonsai, many santigi trees are taken from the wild to be used as bonsai objects, especially in Thailand and Indonesia. Examples of bonsai made from santigi trees:
Benefits of Santigi Tree
Santigi wood is used traditionally in many cultures because it is hard, heavy and resistant to decay.
Generally, santigi wood is made into sticks, tool handles, smoking pipes, and accessories. Recently, the dried santigi wood and roots are used to design aquascapes and hardscapes due to the water-resistant nature of the wood.
In the Maldives santigi wood is used in traditional shipbuilding, specifically used in local magic activities.
On Marovo Island, Tonga, Tahiti and other South Pacific islands, santigi wood is used to make weapons and combs.
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