Plant genera
Overview→ Families→ Genera→ Species
Eight genera connect the four families to sixteen species. Photographs are examples from the selected species, not a complete description of each genus.
Vatica
Family: Dipterocarpaceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Vatica rassak
A wet-tropical tree with narrowly elliptic leaves. The green fruit in this reference photograph is a useful feature to record alongside the whole tree.
Botanical source: NParks.
Vatica mangachapoi
A member of the dipterocarp family recorded in Malaysia. Start with its scientific name, then compare the tree, leaves and reproductive structures with a regional flora.
Botanical source: MyBIS.
Dipterocarpus
Family: Dipterocarpaceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Dipterocarpus grandiflorus
A large forest tree in Dipterocarpaceae. Photographing the leaf surface and young growth adds useful detail to a general canopy photograph.
Botanical source: World Agroforestry.
Dipterocarpus kerrii
This accepted tree species belongs to Dipterocarpus. The reference photograph shows a winged fruit; record naturally fallen material without removing anything from a living tree.
Botanical source: World Flora Online.
Actinodaphne
Family: Lauraceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Actinodaphne malaccensis
A tree of the wet tropical biome in Lauraceae. Kew accepts this scientific name; use the full binomial when recording an observation to avoid ambiguity.
Botanical source: Kew POWO.
Actinodaphne pruinosa
A laurel-family tree represented here by a preserved botanical specimen. Herbarium images can help compare leaf outlines, but dried colours differ from those of a living plant.
Botanical source: Species overview and cited Kew reference.
Beilschmiedia
Family: Lauraceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Beilschmiedia madang
A forest tree whose fleshy fruits become dark blue to black at maturity. The fruit stalk may turn red, making close photographs particularly useful for comparison.
Botanical source: NParks.
Beilschmiedia kunstleri
A member of Lauraceae documented from Hutan Simpan Sungai Tekam in Pahang. Keep the specimen name together with its source when comparing this tree with other Beilschmiedia.
Botanical source: University of Malaya research.
Canarium
Family: Burseraceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Canarium odontophyllum
A tall, buttressed tree that bears bluish-black fruits. This botanical specimen preserves its leaf structure; the source also describes the living tree and its fruit.
Botanical source: NParks.
Canarium littorale
A Burseraceae tree with a documented regional distribution. The photograph records its fruits; combine fruit images with leaves and a wider view before making an identification.
Botanical source: World Flora Online.
Dacryodes
Family: Burseraceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Dacryodes rostrata
An evergreen tree with pinnate leaves and fleshy fruits that darken as they ripen. Its reference specimen provides a closer look at leaf arrangement.
Botanical source: NParks.
Dacryodes laxa
A Malaysian native tree listed by MyBIS. Record the location of your own observation separately from the places reported by a botanical database.
Botanical source: MyBIS.
Horsfieldia
Family: Myristicaceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Horsfieldia irya
A wet-tropical tree in the nutmeg family. Its broad native range includes Malaya and Borneo; a reference range does not confirm an individual sighting.
Botanical source: Kew POWO.
Horsfieldia superba
A Myristicaceae tree documented in several Malaysian states. The leaf photograph offers a close comparison point while its linked record provides the regional context.
Botanical source: MyBIS.
Myristica
Family: Myristicaceae.
Compare the two illustrated records below. Use the species links for descriptions, regional locations and botanical sources. These are examples from our collection, not the only members of this genus.
Myristica fragrans
The nutmeg tree bears fruits containing a seed and a red, lacy aril. Cultivation guidance includes moderate water and well-drained soil in a tropical climate.
Botanical source: NParks.
Myristica iners
An accepted wet-tropical tree species whose native range includes Malaya and Borneo. It belongs to the same genus as cultivated nutmeg, but is a distinct species.
Botanical source: Kew POWO.
Using the guide responsibly
You can begin a useful observation without knowing a plant's name. First record what you can see, then compare the evidence with a reliable description. Our collection deliberately includes four families, two genera from each family and two species from each genus. These numbers describe this learning website, not the total diversity of the groups. Follow the classification links to move between a broad group and a particular plant.
A reference photograph may show a leaf, a fruit or a preserved specimen. It cannot show every feature of a living tree. Read the caption and the linked botanical record before drawing a conclusion. The regional location in a record describes a published distribution; it does not necessarily identify where the photograph was taken. A cultivated plant can also occur outside its native range. Keep these distinctions in your notes.
Record an observation
- Photograph the whole plant and its surroundings from a safe, permitted position.
- Add close views of leaves and any visible flowers or fruit without collecting them.
- Write the date, general location and features you actually observed.
- Compare the sources and ask for help if the evidence is incomplete.
Classification terms
- Family
- A group containing related genera.
- Genus
- A group within a family; its name forms the first part of a species name.
- Species
- The level represented here by a two-part scientific name.
Naming reference: International Association for Plant Taxonomy. The observation workflow is original project guidance.
Classification reference
The rows show the selected species, grouped by family and genus. Botanical references are linked beside each species description.