MUDILLA
Family - Lecythidaceae
Scientific name -
Barringtonia speciosa or
asiatica
Common names –
1) Mudilla tree is also known as Singhalese.
2) In English it is called as Box fruit tree
and sea poison tree.
Growing areas –
1) It is belonging to the tropical Asia and Australia.
2) It grows well in the sandy beaches in
coastal areas.
3) It grows best quite close to the sea where
there is more salt.
General information –
1) It is medium sized and slow growing tree.
2) It is a evergreen tree.
3) It has dark brown and almost black bark
which is rough and uneven.
4) The younger and smaller stems are smoother.
5) This tree has straight trunk and the
branches grow high up due to this the tree get the green crown shape and look
more beautiful.
Leaves, flowers, fruits and uses of the Mudilla
tree :
Leaves of the Mudilla Tree –
1) It has thick, shining and dark green
leaves.
2) The leaves have clearly marked veins.
3) The leaves grow in groups at the end of
branches.
4) The new leaves are paler in colour and
brighter green.
Flowers of the Mudilla Tree –
1) The flowering season is generally September-October
but in many places few flowers can be seen throughout the year.
2) These flowers grow in bunches on stems at
the end of the branchlets (a small branch).
Fruits of the Mudilla Tree –
1) A large green triangular seed case which
turns brown after ripening and has lid (a removable cover for the top
container) to let out the seeds.
2) The seed cases can also float result to
this the seed cases flows from the sea to the other coast.
3) Inland rivers also carries the fruits to
other places.
Uses of the Mudilla Tree –
1) The wood of this tree is soft and doesn’t last
long time but it can used as floater for fisherman.
2) The bark and fruits are poisonous so they
are powdered and used to make the fish paralyzed so they can easily captured.
3) The fruit is also eaten in Indo-China the,
the cooking of the seed obviously destroy the poison.
