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| Last updated: December 2024 |

My initial encounter with this wild herbaceous plant in Singapore occurred in May 2007, as evidenced by the two photographs taken at that time. It was not officially documented in Singapore until a publication in 2021 [1]. Although I observed this plant in subsequent years, it was not until November 2024 that I photographed it again upon discovering a healthy population by the roadside adjacent to a construction site. I transplanted an entire specimen into a pot for further observation, from which the most recent photographs were taken. This plant appears relatively rare compared to similar wild plants within the same family (Rubiaceae), such as Mitracarpus hirtus and Spermacoce exilis. In comparison to these similar species, Richardia scabra is distinguished by its larger flowers.

Reference:

Chen LMJ, Ong KH, Lua HK, Yeo RSW, Chua KS, Tan BH, Choo LM, Koh SL, Ho BC. Additions to the Flora of Singapore: New and overlooked records of casual and naturalised plant species (5). Nature In Singapore 2021;14:e2021090. | Read article |