A Guide toPrunus Trail at theMacRitchie Boardwalks

Singapore Rhododendron (flowers)

White-throated Kingfisher

Surrounded by more than 500ha of primary andsecondary forests in the Catchment Nature Reserve,
MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore's oldest reservoir.
Prunus Trail starts near the entrance of MacRitchie
Nature Trail from MacRitchie Reservoir Park. This isat the eastern end of the reservoir. It is the shorter
boardwalk, part of Prunus-Petai Trail and is a relatively
easy trail. To get to the trail from the amenities
centre, head towards your right and get on thefootpath that skirts the edge of the reservoir. Follow
this footpath until you reach the boardwalks.
This trail ends at the junction of Petai Trail and MacRitchie
Nature Trail. You can opt to continue on the boardwalk
via Petai Trail, or trek back to MacRitchie Reservoir
Park via MacRitchie Nature Trail. If you choose to walkon to Petai Trail, a relatively quiet trail, you will beable to see more wildlife. The end of Petai Trail links toMacRitchie Nature Trail. You can walk along MacRitchie
Nature Trail back to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
Aside from the intriguing plants and trees, keep a lookout
for native creatures of the forest. Tread softly. Talk quietly.
You will be rewarded with sights of the Common Sun Skink,
Clouded Monitor Lizard and Oriental Whip Snake basking
in the sun, Plantain and Slender squirrels leaping gracefully
from tree to tree, a cheeky Long-tailed Macaque or two.
Look up and you may see a White-bellied Fish Eagle soaring
through the skies. It is easily recognisable by its V-shaped
profile. Amidst the tree canopies, you might be able tocatch glimpses of the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Pinknecked Green Pigeon and even a Banded Woodpecker.
Near the water’s edges, you will be able to spot resident
birds like the Collared Kingfisher and White-throatedKingfisher. If you are more interested in butterflies,
the Banded Imperial and Common Grass Yellow can befound prancing amidst the lower strata of the forest.

Long-Tailed Macaque

MacRitchie's rainforests
Most of MacRitchie is covered withsecondary forest tree species but it still
nurtures some of the last precious patchesof primary rainforests in Singapore. Nativespecies, like Gaharu (Aquilaria malaccensis)
and Sterculia species, are part of this lush
habitat. The presence of non-native tree
species like rubber trees and Jambu Ayer
– signs of past disturbance - in no way
detracts from the majesty of the pristine
forest ecosystem that once covered thewhole island of Singapore in the 1800s.

Banded Woodpecker

The rainforests today house precious habitats
for a vast array of flora and fauna. Humanactivities, such as poaching and pollution,
upset the balance and wellbeing of thesehabitats. Let’s do our part to minimize
disturbances to the rainforests by avoiding
such activities. In doing so, we are helping toconserve this rich biodiversity, our ecological
heritage, for future generations.

DistanceWalking time: 3km: About 1 hour
Chestnut Tree (Castanopsis schefferiana)

Tembusu flower

Pet aling
TrailSingapore Island
Country Club

Island Country RoadVenus Drive

TreeTop Walk
Peirce TrackUppePetaling
HutHighlights

ilg TrantanereTa ck• Beautiful views of the reservoir against thebackdrop of dense rainforest

Sim• A close encounter with interesting trees andplants along the trail

Jelutong Towere TrrThomson RoadPrunus Trail

Terap HutTrailie Nature
MacRitch• Sights of native creatures of the forest likethe Common Sun Skink, Clouded Monitor
Lizard, Orange-bellied and Slender squirrels
and Long-tailed Macaque

St Theresa'sHome• Occasional glimpses of native birds like theGreater Racket-tailed Drongo, Pink-necked
Green Pigeon, Banded Woodpecker, Collared
Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher.  

MacRitchie Reservoir

Singapore Island
Country Club

Lornie TrailringTrail

How to get to MacRitchie ParknL orJe

By Bus:Take bus no. 52, 74, 93, 130, 132, 156, 157, 162, 165,166, 167, 852, 855 or 980. Alight along Lornie Road atthe bus-stop in front of MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

ie Ro adChemperai Trail

Petai Trail
SimBy car:
The entrance to the MacRitchie Reservoir Park car parkis along Lornie Road.

eRoa

RangerStationShelter

Refreshment

ToiletPublicPhone

Point AdFitness
CornerFishing
AreaCar ParkBus StopBoardwalk

No Entry

Mapboard

What you can see on this trail
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Singapore Rhododendron(Melastoma malabathricum)
Once you step on the Prunus boardwalk, youwill notice a shrub with pretty pink flowers
and lush green leaves on your left. This isthe Singapore Rhododendron (Melastomamalabathricum), from which Poh Chai pills, thetraditional Chinese medicine that Mum prescribes
whenever you have an upset tummy, are made.
2

Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
This stretch was once a rubber plantation.
Look out for the Rubber Tree (Heveabrasiliensis) with its distinctive trifoliate
leaves (each leaf is made of three leaflets).
3‘Ant Plant’ (Macaranga bancana)
Keep your eyes near the forest floor andyou will notice the ‘Ant Plant’ (Macarangabancana), nature’s home for ants living in thehollow of the plant. These ants protect theplant from pesky caterpillars while the plant
provides the ants with the food that it needs.
The above symbiotic relationship epitomises theco-dependence of flora and fauna in a balanced
ecosystem. As we walk through the rainforest,

let’s help maintain this healthy ecosystem byminimizing acts that disturb the habitat, such as
the indiscriminate spraying of insect repellants.

234Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans)
Look on your left to find the tall Tembusu tree
leaning slightly over the water’s edge. If it looks
familiar, it could be because you have seen it
countless times on your $5 note. The trunk ofthis tree has deep distinctive grooves. Naturehas given the trunk anti-bacterial properties
that make it ideal as chopping boards in thedays when wooden boards were the norm.
When its flowers are in bloom, they give off astrong fragrance which accounts for its scientificname - Fagraea fragrans. Pasir Panjang Road has
a stretch lined with Tembusu trees and when theflowers are in bloom, wind your windows down
to catch a whiff of its wonderful fragrance.
5LianasYou will be forgiven for thinking you are in
Tarzan’s territory at some point when you spot
lianas, the woody climbers of the forest. This
stretch of forest is very old - you can tell thisbecause lianas are only found in old forests
and you can see many of these vines here.

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69Nibong Palm (Oncosperma tigillarium)

Chestnut Tree (Castanopsis schefferiana)

The Nibong Palm (Oncosperma tigillarium) looks
like the normal palm until you look closely atits trunks – you can see has spikes growingon them! The Nibong Palm is the fisherman’sfriend. The slender trunks of this palm, amazingly
resilient and rot-resistant, are used to make thestilts of kelongs. The spikes are used as needles
for fishermen to sew and mend their nets.

You may be surprised to see this Chestnut Tree
(Castanopsis schefferiana) here. The Chestnut
Tree is actually a member of the Oak family. Thespecies found along this trail is closely related
to the imported chestnuts sold in our markets.

7Leaf Litter Plant(Agrostistachys longifolia)
Prunus Trail continues into Petai Trail. Youwill see the Leaf Litter Plant (Agrostistachyslongifolia) which grows profusely under theshade of taller trees. When you see Leaf
Litter Plants growing, you can tell that thisis a good forest with enough dark shade.
8Petai (Parkia speciosa)
Walking along Petai Trail is like going down aculinary trail. Several plants, like the Forest
Beans or the Petai (Parkia speciosa), areedible. We eat the seeds of this tree, raw,
grilled or blanched. The beans taste like garlicand have a very strong and pervasive odour.

678910‘Cheng Tng’ Tree (Scaphium macropodum)
The Malay name for this ‘Cheng Tng’ Tree (Scaphiummacropodum) is Kembang Semangkok (meaning‘fill a cup’). The ripe seeds, when soaked in a cupof water overnight, give rise to a brown spongy
jelly that swells to fill the cup, hence the name.
If you have eaten cheng tng (a local dessert),
you would have tasted this brown spongy
jelly, which is incidentally very nutritious.

We hope you enjoyed your walk on thistrail. For another intimate encounter
with flora and fauna in MacRitchie’s
rainforests, embark on The Chemperai
Trail at The MacRitchie Boardwalks.

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