Barringtonia macrostachya (Jack) Kurz
Family
Lecythidaceae
Synonyms
B. acuminata Korth., B. balabacensis Merr., B. cochinchinensis (Blume) Merr. ex Gagnep.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Putat bukit putih, putat gajah (Peninsular), semuting (Sarawak). |
| English | Red putat. |
| Indonesia | Kayu putat, tuwah dotan (Sumatra), panga ha (Morotai). |
| Philippines | Apalang (Tagalog), karakauat (Negrito), ulam (Tagbanua). |
| Burma (Myanmar) | cây tam lang, thay nya oo. |
| Thailand | Chik nom (Peninsular), chik nawn wan, chick. |
| Vietnam | Tam lang, chi[ees]c ch[uf]m to. |
Geographical Distributions
From southern China, Burma (Myanmar) and Indo-China to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, northern Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and the Philippines.
Description
B. macrostachya is a shrub to medium-sized tree. It is measures 4-20(-30) m tall, 3-35(-90) cm in diametre of the trunk while the twigs are 5-10 mm in diametre.
The leaves are obovate-oblong to oblong, with a size of (10-)15-25(-45) cm x (4-)6-8(-10) cm, wedge-shaped base, cuspidate or caudate apex, shallowly serrate-crenulate, hairless while the petiole is measuring 2.5-10(-17) cm long.
The spike is terminal or ramiflorous, pendulous, (10-)19-45(-75) cm long and up to 60-flowered or more. The opening buds are measures 0.7-0.9 cm long. The sepal tube is measures about 1-3 mm long. Sepals are free, red, purple, or magenta. The 4 petals are elliptical, convex, measuring 2-2.5 cm x 1.5 cm, white, pink or red. The stamens are in 4(-5) whorls. They are measures 2.5-3 cm long, white, red or pink. The ovary is 4-celled, with 4-4.5 cm long style, red or magenta.
The berry is an obovoid, with a size of measuring 5.5-9 cm x 2-4 cm and tetragonous. The pericarp is measured about 3-10 mm thick. The exocarp is measuring 0.5-3 mm thick while the mesocarp is spongy and fibrous. It is measures 1-8 mm thick, fibrous endocarp and it is 0.5-2 mm thick.
The seed is an ovoid, measuring 3-4.5 cm x 1-2.5 cm, quadrangular and ribbed.
Ecology / Cultivation
B. macrostachya is found in primary and secondary forest on hills, along rivers, or in periodically inundated or swampy areas, mostly on sand or loam, from sea-level up to 700(-1300) m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12 (2): Medicinal and poisonous plants.
