Randia spinosa
The mountain pomegranate is a deciduous shrub or small tree with unique flowers and fruits. The flowers are small but have a distinctive structure. For example, when viewed from the front, the white petals appear to be adorned with bright yellow stamens, as the stamens are attached directly to the corolla. Additionally, the color of the flowers changes throughout different stages of blooming, transitioning from pure white at first bloom to brownish-yellow as they fade. This gradual color change, combined with the fact that flowers on the same tree bloom at different times, creates a unique sight where white, beige, and brownish-yellow flowers can be seen blooming simultaneously on a single tree. The flowers typically bloom from spring to summer, with a relatively long blooming period and a large number of flowers. When the fruit matures, it is round or oval in shape, resembling the tropical fruit guava, but it is not edible. Unripe fruits are toxic, and in the old days people occasionally used them to poison fish.
The mountain pomegranate prefers warm and humid conditions and can adapt to full sun to partial shade environments, as well as various soil conditions. It has numerous branches, with slender twigs and thorns at the nodes. It is resistant to pruning, making it commonly cultivated in horticulture as a hedge, providing both landscaping and barrier functions.
The distribution area of the mountain pomegranate includes Sri Lanka, Malaysia, southern China, and Taiwan. It belongs to lowland shrublands and can grow on the edges of broadleaved forests or open areas at medium to low altitudes in Taiwan. In the museum it is planted along the trail in the Northern Lowland Area, near the circular hill in the Central Lowland Area of the Botanical Garden. Pruning is often carried out to promote flowering and maintain the shape of the plant.