Barringtonia asiatica L. Kurz
(This plant belongs to the family Lecythidaceae)
Barringtonia asiatica
(Butun)
(Hidayat T., 2017)
Classification:
Kingdom : Plantae
Divisio : Magnoliophyta
Classis : Magnoliopsida
Order : Ericales
Familia : Lecythidacaeae
Genus : Barringtonia
Species : Barringtonia asiatica
Description:
Barringtonia
is a large evergreen tree with a dense, spreading canopy that casts a good
shade; it can grow up to 20 metres tall. The bole, which is usually short and
poorly formed, can be 100 - 150cm in diameter. The tree is harvested from the
wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood. It is often planted
for shade along boulevards and avenues by the sea.
Grows
best in a fertile, humid, well-drained soil. Prefers a position in full sun or
light shade. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant. Plants are very
tolerant of saline conditions and salt laden winds. Plants thrive in the wild
where their roots dabbling in the brackish waters of lagoons, inlets, estuaries
and seasonally flooded coastal regions.
The
plant flowers almost all year round, producing seeds for about 8 months of the
year in Fiji. The lightly fragrant flowers open in the evening and tempt
pollinating bats with their abundant pollen. Mature trees yield about 500 -
2,000 fruits per year. Plants are not very tolerant of fire.The fruit is light
and buoyant, allowing it to float in sea water and get carried great distances,
thus explaining the trees very wide distribution.
Spot
Character:
Wetland plant with
box-shaped fruit
Benefit:
Natural insecticide
Distribution:
Africa, Southeast Asia,
Australia, Central America
Location:
Zone 2 of UPI BotanicalGarden
Status:
The plant is classified as 'Least
Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Barringtonia asiatica
Fruit of Barringtonia asiatica
(Hidayat T., 2017)
REFERENCE
Hidayat, T. dan Abdurahman, E. (2017). Keanekaragaman Tumbuhan Biji di Kampus UPI Bandung. Bandung: UPI Press
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-11-17. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Barringtonia+asiatica>
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-11-17. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Barringtonia+asiatica>
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