Barringtonia macrostachya (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Barringtonia macrostachya (Jack) Kurz

Protologue: Prelim. rep. forest Pegu: App. A, 66, App. B, 52, in clavi (1875).

Synonyms

• Barringtonia acuminata Korth. (1846),
• Barringtonia balabacensis Merr. (1909),
• Barringtonia cochinchinensis (Blume) Merr. ex Gagnep. (1921).

Vernacular names

• Red putat (En)
• Indonesia: kayu putat, tuwah dotan (Sumatra), panga ha (Morotai)
• Malaysia: putat bukit putih, putat gajah (Peninsular), semuting (Dayak, Sarawak)
• Philippines: apalang (Tagalog), karakauat (Negrito), ulam (Tagbanua)
• Burma (Myanmar): cây tam lang, thay nya oo
• Thailand: chik nom (peninsular), chik nawn wan, chick
• Vietnam: cây mung san, tam lang, chiếc chùm to

Distribution

From southern China, Burma (Myanmar) and Indo-China to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, northern Sulawesi, the Moluccas, and the Philippines.

Uses

In Peninsular Malaysia, the pulped root is used as an application to the skin for ringworm, and on sore eyes. A decoction of the leaves is drunk against stomach-ache. The seeds duly prepared, are considered edible in Indo-China.

Observations

• A shrub to medium-sized tree, 4-20(-30) m tall, trunk 3-35(-90) cm in diameter, twigs 5-10 mm in diameter.
• Leaves obovate-oblong to oblong, (10-)15-25(-45) cm × (4-)6-8(-10) cm, base cuneate, apex cuspidate or caudate, shallowly serrate-crenulate, glabrous, petiole 2.5-10(-17) cm long.
• Spike terminal or ramiflorous, pendulous, (10-)19-45(-75) cm long, up to 60-flowered or more.
• Opening buds 0.7-0.9 cm long, calyx tube about 1-3 mm long, sepals free, red, purple, or magenta, petals 4, elliptical, convex, 2-2.5 cm × 1.5 cm, white, pink or red, stamens in 4(-5) whorls, 2.5-3 cm long, white, red or pink, ovary 4-celled, style 4-4.5 cm long, red or magenta.
• Berry obovoid, 5.5-9 cm × 2-4 cm, tetragonous, pericarp 3-10 mm thick, exocarp 0.5-3 mm thick, mesocarp spongy and fibrous, 1-8 mm thick, endocarp fibrous, 0.5-2 mm thick.
• Seed ovoid, 3-4.5 cm √ó 1-2.5 cm, quadrangular, ribbed.

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.

Selected sources

• [135] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I—Z) pp. 1241—2444.
• [164] Chantaranothai, P., 1995. Barringtonia (Lecythidiaceae) in Thailand. Kew Bulletin 50(4): 677—694.
• [786] Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.

Main genus page

• Barringtonia (Medicinal plants)
• Barringtonia (Timbers)

Authors

• M.A. Yaplito