Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Roxb.

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Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

Barringtonia racemosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Stream crossing at boundary with Coutada 10, Coutada 12

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Barringtonia caffra (Miers) Knuth
Butonica caffra Miers
Eugenia racemosa L.
Common names: Powder-puff tree (English)
Frequency: Locally common along the coast.
Status: Native
Description:
Evergreen shrub or tree. Leaves crowded at the ends of branches, obovate-oblong to obovate-oblanceolate, 14-40 cm long, dark green above, paler beneath, midrib prominent beneath often purplish near the petiole; margin finely and shallowly toothed; petiole short, up to c. 1 cm long, often purplish. Inflorescences in long pendulous racemes up to 70 cm long. Flowers 4 petals with small sepals and petals 15-25 mm long, white often flushed with pink; stamens numerous, forming a central mass up to 3.5 cm in diameter, white or pinkish; flowers open at night and have an unpleasant scent. Fruit conical to ovoid, 3-7 cm long, crowned by the persistent calyx and style, fleshy when young but becoming hard, fibrous and coppery reddish-green.
Notes: Specimens in the photographs were found along a stream appr. 50 km from the coast.
Derivation of specific name: racemosa: with flowers in racemes, arranged along an unbranched inflorescence stalk.
Habitat: Mostly along tidal river banks or swampy coastal localities, more rarely along streams and rivers somewhat further inland. Although not a true mangrove it may form stands in less saline parts of mangrove swamps and develop small pneumatophores.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Along the African coast from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to Tanzania. Elsewhere along the coasts of Tropical Asia, northern Australia, Madagascar and many Indian and eastern Pacific Islands.
Mozambique distribution: N,Z,MS,GI,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Wednesday 27 April 2016
Literature:

Beentje, H. & Bandeira, S. (2007). Field Guide to the Mangrove trees of Africa and Madagascar Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK ISBN 978-184246-135-8 Pages 50 - 51. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 657. (Includes a picture).

Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 782. (Includes a picture).

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 79.

Fernandes, A. (1978). Barringtoniaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 216 - 218. Under Barringtoniaceae (Includes a picture).

Fernandes, A. (1980). 71. Barringtoniaceae Flora de Moçambique Junta de Investigaçoes de Ultramar, Centro de Botanica Pages 2 - 4. Under Barringtoniaceae (Includes a picture).

Prance, G.T. & Jongkind, C.C.H. (2015). A revision of African Lecythidaceae Kew Bulletin 70(6) Pages 7 - 9. (Includes a picture).

Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 26.

Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 200 - 201. (Includes a picture).

Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 228 - 229. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Barringtonia racemosa:

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Barringtonia racemosa
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Barringtonia racemosa
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Barringtonia racemosa
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Barringtonia racemosa
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Barringtonia racemosa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Barringtonia racemosa
JSTOR Plant Science: Barringtonia racemosa
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Barringtonia racemosa
Plants of the World Online: Barringtonia racemosa
Tropicos: Barringtonia racemosa
Wikipedia: Barringtonia racemosa


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Barringtonia racemosa.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=180350, retrieved 29 March 2024

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