Compilation
Barringtonia speciosa

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Name

Identification
Barringtonia speciosa J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. [family LECYTHIDACEAE ]
Related name
  • Barringtonia speciosa

Flora

Entry for BARRINGTONIA asiatica (L.) Kurz [family LECYTHIDACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1971) Author: G. R. W. SANGAI (East African Herbarium)
Names
BARRINGTONIA asiatica (L.) Kurz [family LECYTHIDACEAE], Rep. Pegu., App. A: lxv, App. B: 52 in key (1875) & in Journ. As. Soc. Bengal 45 (2): 131 (1879); Knuth in E.P. IV. 219: 10 (1939); T.T.C.L.: 263 (1949); Backer & Bakh. f., Fl. Java 1: 352 (1963); Payens in Blumea 15: 184 (1967). Type: Java, Prinsen I., Osbeck (LINN, specimen 675.2, holo., S, iso.)
Mammea asiatica L. [family GUTTIFERAE], Sp. Pl.: 512 (1753)
Barringtonia speciosa J. R. & G. Forst. [family LECYTHIDACEAE], Char. Gen. Pl.: 76, t. 38 (1776); C.B. Cl. in Fl. Brit. India 2: 507 (1879); U.O.P.Z.: 140 (1949). Type: Tahiti, Forster (BM, holo.)
Information
Tree or shrub 7–30 m. tall, with grey or brown, rough or smooth scaly thick bark; trunk sometimes buttressed; young branches with large leaf-scars. Leaves sessile, obovate or oblong-lanceolate to oblong-obovate, (5–)16–40(–56) cm. long, (2–)10–18(–25) cm. wide, obtuse, broadly rounded, slightly emarginate or even somewhat acuminate at the apex, narrowed to a ± rounded-truncate base, coriaceous, glabrous, often shining, entire; larger leaves often alternating with smaller ones. Racemes terminal, erect, 2–30 cm. long, 3–20-flowered; pedicels 4–6(–10) cm. long. Calyx 2-lobed, the lobes 3–5 cm. long, 2–3.8 cm. wide. Petals white, broadly elliptic, 5.5–8.5(–?10) cm. long, 2–4.5 cm. wide. Outer stamens numerous, 6–12(–15–?18) cm. long, mostly pink above. Ovary 4-angular, 4(–5)-locular, with 4(–5) ovules in each locule; style 9–13.5(–15–?17.5) cm. long. Fruit broadly pyramidal, 4-angular, 8.5–12 cm. long and wide; pericarp thick, glossy, the endocarp fleshy-fibrous. Seed oblong, 4–6 cm. long, 2.5–5 cm. wide, subtetragonous, tapering to an emarginate apex. Fig. 1/8.
Range
DISTR. Z; P; R. O. Williams (U.O.P.Z.: 141 (1949)) also records it from Wete in Pemba and Mbweni on Zanzibar I. where it is perhaps cultivated; Seychelles, Mauritius, Comores and Madagascar, thence from India (Coromandel coast) throughout tropical Asia to S. Vietnam, Malesia, Formosa, Queensland far into the Pacific; also introduced into Hawaii, West Indies, St. Helena and Guyana
Altitude range
sea-level
Distribution
ZANZIBAR Zanzibar I. , without precise locality (fruit only), Barraud !ZANZIBAR Pemba I. , W. coast, Verani, 18 Feb. 1929, Greenway 1468! & Chake Chake, 13 Aug. 1929, Vaughan 495 !
Notes
This is a characteristic drift fruit of the Indopacific region and fruits have been picked up on the East African mainland, e.g. Kenya, Kwale District, N. of Jadini, 12 Dec. 1959, Greenway in E.A.H. 11833 ! The species has also been collected from the Dar es Salaam Botanic Garden, 7 Oct. 1929, Burtt Davy 22324, presumably from a cultivated plant.

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