Common Name: Indian Oak

General Information

Barringtonia acutangula is a small tree or shrub with a dense spreading crown[]. Briefly deciduous, it grows up to 13 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, mainly as a medicine but also for food and materials. It is sometimes grown to provide shelter from the wind.

Known Hazards

The bark is used to intoxicate fish[].

Botanical References

Range

Asia - Afghanistan, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia.

Habitat

Riverbanks, swampy sites or rocky or sandy shores at elevations from sea level to 400 metres[, , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	13.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a permanently moist but well-drained soil and a position in full sun[]. Particularly suited to humid, shady situations[].

Edible Uses

The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable[].

Seed[].

Medicinal

The bark in decoction is given as a stomachic[]. The scraped bark is squeezed with coconut meat and the juice is drunk daily for treating pneumonia, diarrhoea and asthma[].
Externally, it is used for poulticing wounds, ulcers, sores, itches etc[].

The root is considered aperient[].

Powdered seeds, in small doses, are given to children as an expectorant and emetic[]. It is further used as an anthelmintic[].
The seed is used to treat ophthalmia[].

The liquid obtained by pounding the wood in water is considered haemostatic and given in menorrhagia[].

The leaves are used to treat diarrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Trees are planted as a windbreak[].
The flowers produce copious nectar and attract bees, who produce a good honey from it[].

Other Uses

The bark is a source of tannins[].

The heartwood is light pinkish to reddish-grey, or in some cases nearly white towards the outside of the log; it is not distinctly demarcated from the sapwood. Texture is medium to fine, the grain straight, the wood lustrous, with a smooth feel. The wood is light in weight, soft and fairly durable. It is easy to saw, works well by hand and on machine, and finishes to a dull smooth surface. If cut on the quarter it presents a noticeable silver grain, which should be taken advantage of in cabinet work, as it apparently does not warp much if so cut. It is used for boatbuilding, well construction, rice pounders, cabinet work, and carts[, ]. The wood turns black if buried in mud[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a position in full light. About 90% of fresh seed germinates[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood[].

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