Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng. (LECYTHIDACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Common Putat, Putat Ayam, Powder-Puff Tree

Description

Small to medium-sized tree to 20 m tall. Leaves clustered at tips of branches, 14-42 cm long, obovate-oblong, margin serrated. Flowers in terminal racemes arising from the mature branches, white, sometimes tinged pink, 1.5-2.5 cm long, with white, purple or red stamens. Fruits ellipsoid, 5-9 cm long.

Ecology

Common in primary and secondary lowland forests, mostly in periodically inundated forest or swampy places, along lakes and seashores; occasionally in hill forest.

Distribution

A very widespread species, E and S Africa, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, India, Sri Lanka, Andamans, Nicobar Is., Myanmar, Thailand, China, throughout SE Asia, to Australia and Pacific Is.

Uses

Planted as ornamental.