Barringtonia racemosa is a small tree [4-8 m] in the family Lecythidaceae. It is commonly known as the Powder-puff tree and Fish-poison wood. It is found in coastal swamp forests and on the edges of estuaries in the Indian Ocean, starting at the east coast of Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal [South Africa] to Madagascar, India, Srilanka, Southeast Asia, Southern China, northern Australia, the Ryukyu Islands and many Polynesian islands.
This tree is beautifully decorated with dangling clusters of young fruits like baubles.
The flowers have densely packed, silky pink or white stamens that look like powder puffs.
The seeds, bark, wood and roots contain the poison saponin and is used to stun fish. The bark, which also has a high tannin content, is frequently used in powdered form for this purpose.
Photos: AdmPark Singapore 20120503
Source: Wikipedia
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