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Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng.
Synonym : Eugenia racemosa L.
Family
: Lecythidaceae
Local Names
: Samudrachampa, Samudrakai,
Fish-killer tree
Flowering
and fruiting period:
August – March
Distribution: Indo-Malaysia to
Polynesia
Habitat: Along banks of
backwaters and mangrove forests
IUCN
status:
Data Deficient
Endemic: No
Uses: The young or cooked
leaves (to remove their bitterness) are edible. The pounded seeds are used to
make edible flour. The seeds, bark, leaves, fruits, and roots are used
medicinally for various ailments and diseases. The wood is utilized as
firewood, and for construction. The bark provides a source of fibre. The
powdered bark and all other parts of the plant were exploited as a fish poison,
while their extracts may be used as an insecticide. The bark and roots are
used as tanning agents as they contain high levels of tannin. It is
occasionally cultivated as an ornamental tree along roadsides.
Key
Characters:
Small to medium trees. Leaves
