Barringtonia macrocarpa Hassk.
Family
Lecythidaceae
Synonyms
B. insignis Miq., B. serrata Miq., B. comosa Gagnep.
Vernacular Names
| Indonesia | Songgom (Javanese, Sundanese), bulat, potet (Kalimantan). |
| Thailand | Chik nom yan. |
| Vietnam | l[ooj]c v[uwf]ng qu[ar] to. |
Geographical Distributions
From Indo-China, southern Thailand, southern Burma (Myanmar) to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
Description
Barringtonia macrocarpa is a shrub or small tree where it can grow measuring up to 1.5-6(-13) m tall. The trunk is measures 5-16 cm in diametre while its twigs are measures (5-)7-15 mm in diametre.
The leaves are obovate-lance-shaped or linear-lance-shaped, with measuring 30-60(-70) cm x 6-18 cm, narrowly wedge-shaped base, cuspidate or obtuse apex, serrate-crenulate, hairless and with measures 0.5-1(-2) cm long petiole.
The raceme is terminal, pendulous, measuring (26-)40-75(-112) cm long and up to 135-flowered. The flowers are not scented, 0.5-1.5 cm long pedicel while the opening buds are measures about 0.5-0.7 cm long. The sepal tube is about 0.5-2 mm long and not accrescent. There are 3-4 free sepals, accrescent and purple or pink while the petals are 3-4, elliptical, convex, measuring 2-3 cm x 1-1.5 cm, white, or pale pink. The stamens are in 3-4 whorls, 3-4 cm long and pink. The ovary is 3-4-celled and with measures 3.5-4.2 cm long style.
The berry (immature) is obovate to oblong, with a size of measures 6.5 cm x 2.5 cm. It is 3-4-gonous to 3-4-winged. The pericarp is measures about 2.5 mm thick. The exocarp is thin while the mesocarp is about 1 mm thick and fibrous. The fibrous endocarp is about 1 mm thick.
The seed is ovoid, measuring 3.5 cm x 0.75 cm and fissured.
Ecology / Cultivation
B. macrocarpa occurs along rivers, in swampy forest and periodically inundated areas from sea-level up to 300 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12 (2): Medicinal and poisonous plants.
