Barringtonia acutangula

Common Name : Indian Oak, Freshwater Mangrove, Stream Barringtonia, Indian Putat, Barringtonia, Fish killer tree Botanical Name : Barringtonia acutangula Family : Lecythidaceae

barringtonia acutangula is an evergreen tree with strong aromatic tiny red flowers. Once it’s started blooming fragrance of flowers would reach up to ½ a kilo meters. Mostly grows in bank of the river. Fallen flowers attract birds, bees and butterflies. In the spring season all fallen flowers would make as if someone put the red blanket underneath the tree.

Kingdom - Plantae

Order - Ericales

Species - acutangula

Genus - Barringtonia

Synonyms - Barringtonia acutangula (linn) gaertner, Barringtonia acutangula (linn) Gaertn., Eugenia acutangula, Barringtonia spicata

Category - Medium evergreen tree

Origin / Native - Southern Asia, Madagascar

Found In - India

Height - 25 feet to 40 feet tall

Flowers - Small, red in color, thread like smooth, narrowed, petals, showy, strong fragrance, white bracts, yellow stamens, small tiny 75 to 80 flowers with individual tiny stalk connected in one long stalk like pendulous racemes structure

Foliage - Glossy, green, simple, obovate, alternately arranged leaves

Bark - Dark grey, rough

Flowering Month - June, July, august

Found In - FBank of the rivers, edges of the streams, seasonally flooded areas, wetlands, swamplands, lakes side

Propagation - Seeds

Fruits - Green, 4-angled

Seeds - ovate, black

Special Feature - Soil & drainage tolerant

Attracts - Bees, butterflies, birds

Uses - Traditional medicine

Tamil - Samudra pazham, samutraphalam, cengkatampu, aram

Hindi - Samudra Phal, Hijagal, Hijjal

Sanskrit - Abdhiphala, Dhatriphal, Ambuja, Ambudhiphala

Kannada - Mavinkubia

Malayalam - Nir perzha, Attupelu

Light Requirement & Feature - Full sun, part shade, moist soils

Barringtonia acutangula flower

Barringtonia acutangula flowers fallen-over the river bank[srirangam, kavery river]

Kaveri river bank-Fully covered with freshwater mangrove flowers [8 A.M.]

Barringtonia acutangula flower buds-young

Barringtonia acutangula foliage-leaves, simple, ovate

Barringtonia acutangula tree bark

Flower buds started blooming

Flower stalk

Fully opened flowers

Pendulous racemes

Flowers swallowed the shores of kaveri river

Tiny yellow stamens

Flower bracts

Barringtonia flowers

Cengkatampu[tamil]

Barringtonia acutangula tree

Barringtonia acutangula-Pendulous racemes flower cluster

Photographs: Guna Selvi Camera: Nikon D40x Location : Kavery river, Srirangam, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India