Barringtonia asiatica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barringtonia asiatica
Leaves and opening flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ericales Family: Lecythidaceae Genus: Barringtonia Species: B. asiatica
Binomial name
Barringtonia asiatica (L.) Kurz

Barringtonia asiatica (Sea Poison Tree or Fish Poison Tree) is a species of Barringtonia native to mangrove habitats on the tropical coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean from Zanzibar east to Taiwan, the Philippines, Fiji, and New Caledonia.^[1][2]

It is a small to medium-sized tree growing to 7–25 m tall. The leaves are narrow obovate, 20–40 cm long and 10–20 cm broad. The fruit is globose to subpyramidal, 9-11 cm diameter, with a thick spongy fibrous layer covering the 4-5 cm diameter seed.^[3][2]

The fruit is dispersed by floating at sea, where it can survive afloat for up to two years; it was one of the first plants to colonise Anak Krakatau when this volcano first appeared after the Krakatau eruption.^[2]

All parts of the tree are poisonous, the active poisons including saponins. The seeds have been used ground to a powder to stun or kill fish for easy capture.^[2]

Barringtonia asiatica is a common plant in the Malaysian Mangroves and wetlands such as the Kuching wetlands and Bako National Park. Barringtonia asiatica is known locally as Putat laut or Butun.

[edit] References