Melastoma cyanoides

Melastoma cyanoides, commonly known as bush strawberry, is a species of plants in the family Melastomataceae native to parts of Indo-China, Malesia, New Guinea and the state of Queensland, Australia. It is a shrub to about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall with white flowers and red, spiky-looking fruit. It grows in and on the margins of rainforest; in Australia is occurs from sea level up to about 700 m (2,300 ft). The species was first described by botanist James Edward Smith in 1819, based on a collection from Ambon in Indonesia.^[4]

Bush strawberry
Flower and foliage
Conservation status
Least Concern (NCA)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Melastomataceae
Genus:	Melastoma
Species:	M. cyanoides
Binomial name
Melastoma cyanoides Sm.[2][3]
Synonyms[3]
29 synonyms Lachnopodium bracteatum Blume Lachnopodium rubrolimbatum Blume Malabathris cyanoides Raf. Malabathris nigra Raf. Melastoma furcatum Roxb. Melastoma moluccanum Blume Melastoma rubrolimbatum Link & Otto Osbeckia annamica Guillaumin Osbeckia manillana DC. Osbeckia papuana Cogn. Otanthera adpressa Mansf. Otanthera bracteata Korth. Otanthera celebica Blume Otanthera crinita Naudin Otanthera cyanoides Triana Otanthera gracilis Naudin Otanthera lamii Mansf. Otanthera macgregorii Merr. Otanthera manillana Triana Otanthera moluccana (Blume) Blume Otanthera nicobarensis Teijsm. & Binn. Otanthera novoguineensis Baker f. Otanthera papuana (Cogn.) C.Hansen Otanthera parviflora Merr. Otanthera queenslandica Domin Otanthera rubro-limbata Triana Otanthera setulosa K.Schum. Otanthera strigosa Merr. Otanthera subrostrata Bakh.f.

Conservation

This species is listed as least concern under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act.^[1] As of 8 January 2025^[update], it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).