Barringtonia asiatica 滨玉蕊 @Changi Point Coastal Walk

Barringtonia asiatica 滨玉蕊 @Changi Point Coastal Walk (2022 0715)

Family Lecythidaceae

Common Name: Sea Poison or Putat laut

Native to mangrove habitats from islands of the Indian Ocean in the west to tropical Asia and islands of the western Pacific Ocean.

Night-blooming flowers very showy with four white petals and lots of fine, pink-tipped stamens forming a pom-pom shape (10-15cm).

Fruit large (8-10cm) squarish, fibrous and contains 1-2 seeds oblong (4-5cm long). The fruit floats and the softer outer layers rot in the water, so the fruit is stranded on a faraway shore as a fibrous basket surrounding the seed.

Locate: Changi Point Coastal Walk

Getting There:

MRT Tampines East (DT33)/Tampines East Stn Exit B Stop ID: 76031 board bus 59 and alight at Changi Village Ter Stop ID: 99009