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Putat sungei Barringtonia racemosa Family Lecythidaceae updated Nov 10 Where seen? This tree with hanging garlands of pretty pink fluffy flowers is now rare in the wild. It is, however, being planted in some of our coastal parks and reserves. Wild trees are found in damp places near mangroves, tidal rivers, sandy or rocky shores, freshwater swamps, peat swamp forests. And even banks of tidal creeks and muddy ditches in rice-fields in Malaya. Features: A shrub or small, straggling tree (5-15m tall). Leaves (20-30cm) thin leathery, midrib and veins often yellow. The leaves are finely toothed at the edges. Old leaves wither orange to red. Flowers large, pale pink with petals white tinged with pink. With many pink stamens forming a pom-pom shape. The flowers emerge from a long hanging spike (40-50cm long). According to Giesen, the night-blooming flowers have "a very strong fragrant scent" and are pollinated by moths and small bats. Flowering occurs year round. Fruit (about 8cm long) egg- or pear-shaped, sometimes weakly angled or with four faint grooves, green or flushed reddish. The fruit floats and may travel in seawater for many months. Each fruit contains only one seed. Human uses: The plant contains a toxin called saponin, concentrated mainly in the seeds but also found in other parts of the plant. According to Burkill, the leaves are used in a poultice for itching and chicken-pox, as well as to treat sore throats. The young leaves are eaten raw in Eastern Malaysia, and in the Philippines the fruits are used to poison wild pigs. Status and threats: It is listed as 'Critically Endangered' on the Red List of threatened plants of Singapore. |
 Planted tree. Chek Jawa, Mar 09 
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 Chek Jawa, Jul 08  |
 Chek Jawa, Jul 08  |
 Chek Jawa, Mar 09 |
 Admiralty Park, Apr 09  |
 Chek Jawa, Mar 09  |
 Chek Jawa, Mar 09  |
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Links
References
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Singapore University Press. 222 pp.|
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