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Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng.

Family Name:	Lecythidaceae
Synonyms:	Barringtonia inclyta
Common Name:	Common Putat, Fish-Killer Tree, Fish-Poison Tree, Freshwater Mangrove, Powder-Puff Tree, Putat Ayam, Putat Kampong, Small-Leaved Barringtonia, 水茄笗, 细叶棋盘脚树, 玉蕊

Barringtonia racemosa, also known as Common Putat, has pendulous inflorescence, up to 1m long. The flowers are night-blooming and have filamentous stamens that are white, pink or red. The bark and fruits are crushed and used as fish poisons as they contain toxic saponins.

Full Sun

Semi Shade

Lots of Water

Moderate Water

Native to Singapore

Coastal Plant

Suitable for Roadsides

Fragrant Plant

Ornamental Flowers

Tree

Barringtonia racemosa - inflorescence at 2.19am

Barringtonia racemosa - inflorescence at 2.18am

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Tree (Medium (16m-30m))
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Plant Shape	Rounded, Weeping / Pendulous
Maximum Height	20 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	From East and Southern Africa, Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Seychelles, India, Sri Lanka, Andamans, Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, China, throughout Malesia (including Singapore) to the Marianas, Caroline Islands, Northern Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, and many other Pacific islands.
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Riverine), Shoreline (Mangrove Forest, Backshore, Sandy Beach, Rocky Beach)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Local Conservation Status

Native to Singapore (Critically Endangered (CR))

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is a small or medium-sized tree up to 20 m tall.
Foliage	Its alternate, shortly-stalked to stalkless leaves possess thinly leathery leaf blades that are green, drop-shaped-oblong to narrowly drop-shaped, 5–42 by 2–16 cm, slightly toothed at the margins, with short tips and yellow veins.
Flowers	Its hanging flowering shoots are 20–100 cm long. Its large, shortly-stalked flowers are fragrant, 7.6–10 cm wide, with red sepals, white petals (sometimes tinged pink), and white, pink or red stamens.

Fruit	Its fruits are usually 1-seeded, oblong or rather pear-shaped, green or flushed reddish when ripe, and 3–9 by 2–6.4 cm, with four, faint grooves. Its seed is 2–4 cm long.
Habitat	It grows in the landward side of mangrove forest, primary and secondary forests on the banks of tidal creeks, rivers and swampy areas, and on sandy or rocky shores, up to 900 m altitude. It occurs locally in Western Catchment Area, and in the vicinity of MacRitchie Reservoir.
Associated Fauna	It is the food plant for caterpillars of the moths Attacus atlas (Atlas Moth), Gnathmocerodes tonsoria, and Thosea andamanica. Its flowers are pollinated by bats and moths.
Cultivation	Grows well in slightly saline, heavy soils. It can be propagated by seed, or stem cuttings.
Etymology	Latin Barringtonia, after Hon. Daines Barrington (1727–1800), English naturalist; Latin racemosa, flowers growing in racemes, referring to the plant’s racemous flowering shoot consisting of a central axis with stalked flowers along it with the youngest at the tip and the older ones progressively lower
Ethnobotanical Uses	Timber & Products: The wood is utilized as firewood, and for construction. The bark provides a source of fibre. Others: 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.

Landscaping Features

Landscaping	This tree is cultivated in parks, large gardens and and is suitable for roadsides. It has attractive red and white flowers on long, hanging flowering shoots, and large reddish fruits. It can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, so making it suitable for most sites, including beaches to edges of ponds and reservoirs.
Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Fragrant (Flowers) (Night, Dawn / Dusk, Day), Ornamental Fruits
Landscape Uses	Coastal, Riverine, Shade Providing Tree / Palm, General, Suitable for Roadsides, Parks & Gardens, Small Gardens, Beachfront / Shoreline, Pond / Lake / River

Thematic Landscaping	Economic Garden, Naturalistic Garden
SGMP Treatment
Plant & Rootzone Preference or Tolerance Remarks	Heavy clay soils

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Bat Food (Flower Nectar)
Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Butterfly, Moth), Vertebrates (Bat))
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Abiotic (Water)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun, Semi-Shade
Water Preference	Moderate Water, Lots of Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance	Saline Soils / Salt Spray, Waterlogged Soils (Drains Site), Easy to Grow, Fertile Loamy Soils, Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Maintenance Requirements	Moderate
Propagation Method	Seed, Stem Cutting
Propagule Establishment Remarks	Seeds generally germinate in 10 to 14 days.

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Raised / Sunken Veins, Leathery, Thin

Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Alternate
Foliar Attachment to Stem	Petiolate, Sessile
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Obovate, Elliptical, Lanceolate, Oblong)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Serrate / Toothed
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acute
Typical Foliar Area	Mesophyll ( 45cm2 - 182.25 cm2 )
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Non Palm)	Woody
Bark Colour(s)	Grey-brown to pinkish
Mature Bark Texture	Cracked

Stem Type & Modification	Woody
Root Type	Underground (Tap Root, Fibrous Root)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Pink, White
Flower Grouping	Cluster / Inflorescence

Flower Location	Axillary
Flower Size - Remarks	4cm across
Inflorescence Type	Raceme
Flowering Opening Time	Night (dusk to dawn)
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Red, Green
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Fleshy Fruit

Image Repository

Images

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Master ID	1454
Species ID	2747
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.