Common Name: Freshwater Mangrove

General Information

Barringtonia racemosa is usually a small, evergreen tree about 4 - 8 metres in height, though it can occasionally reach 20 metres[, ]. The tree is frequently multi-stemmed with poorly-formed boles[], though boles of up to 50cm in diameter are sometimes found[]. A most decorative tree, which grows easily and rapidly, it is often grown for ornament in the tropics and subtropics[].
A multipurpose tree, it is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is occasionally planted as a roadside tree and an ornamental[, ].
Barringtonia racemosa has a very wide distribution, occurring in Africa, Asia and Oceania. It has a large population and occurs in multiple forests types. There are some local uses for the tree but these do not cause large scale decline. Currently the species is not considered to be experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[].

Known Hazards

The seed contains saponins and is poisonous[]. It is sometimes used as a fish poison[].
The pounded roots, fruits and bark are all used as fish poisons[].
The fruits are used to poison wild pigs[].

Botanical References

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Range

East Africa to Asia through India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, Pacific.

Habitat

Tropical rainforest areas, open lowlands and thickets, always occurring near water: along riverbanks and in freshwater swamps, and occasionally in the less saline areas of mangrove swamps, where it may develop pneumatophores[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Pollinators	Bats, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland wet tropical, moist topical and wet subtropical climatic zones, it can be found at elevations up to 600 metres. The plant grows in areas where the mean annual temperature is around 27°c, with the hottest moth around 29 - 34°c and the coolest 20 - 23°c. It cannot tolerate even light frosts. The mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,500 - 4,300mm, usually with a year-round distribution, sometimes with a short dry season[, ].
Prefers a position in partial shade. It grows well under slightly saline conditions or on beaches near the high water level, with a preference for heavy clay, loam or rich volcanic soils[].
A comparatively high percentage of the fruit is seedless[].
As the fibrous coat makes the fruit buoyant in water, it may be carried great distances[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked as a vegetable[, , ]. They are usually soaked in lime water first in order to remove their bitterness[].

The seeds are pounded to extract the starchy content, which is made into cakes[, ]. The kernels of the seeds are grated on a piece of thorny stem of a rattan (Calamus). Water is added and a milky juice is squeezed out of the pulp, resembling the milk expressed from grated coconut. This milky liquid is allowed to stand in boat-shaped dishes made of palm sheaths. A starchy substance is deposited and the water carefully drawn off. The deposit is made into cakes, which are roasted and eaten. If eaten with out having been washed the gratings cause sickness[].
The ovoid seed can be 20 - 4mm lomg and 10 - 15mm wide[].

Medicinal

The root is febrifuge[, ].
A decoction of the bark is externally applied as an antirheumatic and to treat chickenpox[].

The bark is applied externally to treat chicken pox and as a poultice to relieve itch[].

The fruit is used to treat coughs, asthma and diarrhoea[, ]. It is pulverized and used as snuff[]. The Zulu tribe of South Africa uses the fruit as a remedy for malaria[].
The fruit is used externally for poulticing sore throat and skin eruptions[].

A decoction of the scraped nut is drunk to relieve a cough, sinusitis or bronchitis[]. Although considered poisonous, the seeds are used to treat intestinal worms, and are employed by midwives for promoting parturition[, ]. The seed is peeled, mixed with flour and oil, and used in the treatment of diarrhoea[].
The seed is used externally to treat ophthalmia[, ].

In Malaysia, the leaves traditionally are used to treat high blood pressure and as a depurative[].
The pounded leaves are applied externally to treat chicken pox and as a poultice to relieve itch[, ].

Other Uses

An oil is obtained from the seed. It is used as an illuminant[, ].

The bark yields tannin[]. The bark of the stems and roots has a high tannin content and is used locally for tanning[]. Uses as a dye have not been recorded, but the type of tannins present in the bark is widely used all over the world for dyeing vegetable fibres into shades of reddish brown and also grey and black with iron mordants[].

The seed contains saponins and is used as an insecticide[]. Extracts of the plant have proved effective against Citrus aphis[].

The bark is utilized as cordage[, ].

The heartwood is a pale yellow-brown wood, sometimes with a reddish tinge; it is not differentiated from the sapwood. The grain is straight, texture moderately fine and even. The wood is light in weight, soft, not durable[]. It yields a medium-weight hardwood[]. The sapwood is permeable, the heartwood moderately resistant to pressure impregnation[]. The wood is used for light work that does not require great strength. It is utilized for temporary construction, local house building (posts and beams), general planking, flooring, boat building, mouldings, interior finish, handles of non-striking tools, household utensils, agricultural implements, boxes and crates and wooden pallets. It is suitable for veneer and plywood manufacturing. In India, it is used additionally for carts, rice pounders and cabinetwork. In the Philippines, it has been reported that when treated with preservatives, the timber can be used to make good ties and paving blocks. In the Pacific region, the wood has additionally been used for carving and turnery. The wood has been applied in various kinds of wood-based panels such as hardboard, particleboard and block board, and has also been used for the production of pulp[].
As the trees are often not large enough to be converted in saw mills and supplies are small, use of the timber is limited and it is not sold on the international market[].
Provides suitable firewood[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. It can be sown in situ or in a partially shaded nursery seedbed and then planted out when large enough[]. The seed should be sown 3 - 5cm deep in a vertical position with the basal end down -the roots emerge from this end and the shoots emerge from the apex. Seeds from ripe fruits will start to germinate after 7 days. Seeds on their side will take longer to become established. Nearly 100% of viable seeds can be expected to germinate, as there is no seed dormancy. It takes 2 - 3 months to germinate a ripe fruit[]. Seedlings are ready for field planting about 2 - 3 months after germination, when around 20 - 30cm tall[]
Cuttings of half-ripe wood.
Air layering[].

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