| Barringtonia racemosa | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Lecythidaceae |
| Genus: | Barringtonia |
| Species: | B. racemosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng.
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Barringtonia racemosa, commonly known as powder-puff tree, is a species of tree in the family Lecythidaceae. 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, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, Laos, southern China, northern Australia, coastal Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands and many Polynesian islands.[3]
The 1889 book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia’ records that the Indigenous people of the Mitchell River District called this plant "Yakooro" and that "The root of this tree has a bitter taste, and is used by Hindoo [sic.] practitioners on account of its aperient and cooling qualities. The seeds and bark are also used in native medicine; the latter is of a reddish colour, and is said to possess properties allied to the Cinchonas. The pulverised fruit is used as snuff, and, combined with other remedies, is applied externally in diseases of the skin. (Treasury of Botany)."[4]
The powder-puff tree is a protected tree in South Africa.[5]
- ^ IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; et al. (BGCI) (2020). "Barringtonia racemosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T160298203A160301831. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T160298203A160301831.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng. — the Plant List".
- ^ "Australian plant common name database". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ J. H. Maiden (1889). The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania. Turner and Henderson, Sydney.
- ^ "Protected Trees" (PDF). Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Republic of South Africa. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-05.