Thaumatococcus daniellii ( Bennett 1855: 161 ) Bentham (1883: 652)

Niissalo, Matti A., Khew, Gillian S., Webb, Edward L. & Leong-Škorničková, Jana, 2016, Notes on Singaporean native Zingiberales II: revision of Marantaceae, with a new generic record and notes on naturalised and commonly cultivated exotic species, Phytotaxa 289 (3), pp. 201-224 : 216-219

8. Thaumatococcus daniellii ( Bennett 1855: 161) Bentham (1883: 652)

Thaumatococcus daniellii is the only non-native Marantaceae that has naturalised in Singapore. It can be seen along roads and forest margins, but only in areas that are heavily occupied by introduced species in general. The most clearly naturalised population is present near the carpark at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which is the only location where it has been seen flowering and fruiting.

The species originates from Western Africa, where it is well known as a vegetable, a leaf for food wrap, and a ‘miraculous fruit’ because the aril is extremely sweet ( Leong-Škorničková 2013). Sterile plants are superficially similar to Stachyphrynium latifolium , but the leaves of Thaumatococcus are dark glossy green above and lack the waxy glaucous lower leaf surface. The leaf margin is not distinctively coloured. The pale purple flowers are on a radical shoot, protected by large, deciduous bracts. The bright red fruits are large, triangular and presented on soil surface.