Fish poison tree, common sight along sandy beaches
Barringtonia asiatica
- Common/ English name: Fish poison tree
- Family: Lecythidaceae
(The cannonball tree family)
(Sinhala name: Mudilla
Tamil name:No name known)
Fish poison tree: Easily recognisable because of its large, glossy, dark green leaves, crowded at the tips of branches and its four-sided, hard fruit. Look for it along the Galle Road between Bambalapitiya and Kollupitiya. Photographs © Ranjit Galappatti (flowers); © Dimitri Miththapala (fruit)
These medium-sized trees are native to coastal areas of countries of the Indian Ocean, as well as part of the Pacific. In Sri Lanka, they are generally found in coastal areas, along sandy beaches, because they need porous, sandy soils. During the widening and redesigning of Galle Road from Bambalapitiya to Kollupitiya junctions, this tree was planted as an ornamental along both sides of the road. The tree is named after a British naturalist Daines Barrington.
The leaves of the Fish poison tree are large, glossy and dark green, crowded in bunches at the tips of branches. Each leaf is broader at the tip than at the base.
The faintly scented flowers open in the evenings. Each is about 12 cm in diameter and has four thick, waxy, white petals and a multitude of pink-tipped white stamens. After the stamens drop off, a small green open cup remains on the tree. Fruits are characteristically large, four-sided, hard and green with distinct straight edges, narrowing towards the tip.
In the Philippines, the bark is used to stun fish for easy capture, hence its common name. The bark is also used externally to treat insect bites. Seeds and extracts from the leaves are used to treat diarrhoeal disorders.
Extracted from ‘What tree is that?
The Ruk Rakaganno Layperson’s Guide to Some Trees of Sri Lanka’. Updated by the author using ‘Flowering plants commonly encountered in Sri Lankan habitats’ (2011) by Sriyanie Miththapala, Siril Wijesundara and Janaki Galappatti. National Trust: Colombo.
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.