The Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) Plant of the Month (POM) for December 2024 is Botong, scientifically known as Barringtonia asiatica (L.) Kurz from the family Lecythidaceae. This plant is native to Andaman Is., Bismark Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Is., Chagos Archipelago, Cocos (Keeling) Is., Comoros, Cook Is., Fiji, Gilbert Is., India, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Line Is., Madagascar, Malaya, Maldives, Maluku, Marquesas, Marshall Is., Mauritius, Nansei-shoto, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Niue, Ogasawara-shoto, Philippines, Queensland, Reunion, Samoa, Santa Cruz Is., Seychelles, Society Is., Solomon Is., South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tokelau-Manihiki, Tonga, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and Wallis-Futuna Is. It is a tree up to 15 meters in height with spreading branches commonly found in forests, sandy shores, and mangrove areas.
The Botong tree produces green fruits that are broadly pyramidal in shape, tapering towards the apex, and crowned with a calyx that encloses a single large seed. It produces flowers in racemes, predominantly at the terminal ends. The flowers are white, with ovate to elliptic petals, and feature whorls of red-tipped stamens. The leaves of the Botong tree are typically large, narrowly lanceolate, and glabrous, with young leaves often displaying a reddish color.
The Botong tree serves various purposes in traditional medicine and daily life. Heated leaves are applied topically to alleviate stomach aches, while fresh leaves are used to treat rheumatism. Although its seeds are poisonous, they are traditionally used as a fish-stunning agent and as a vermifuge. The scraped pulp of the fruit is applied as a poultice to treat cysts, goiters, tumors, and abscesses. Extracts from the dried kernel are utilized for managing coughs, sore throats, flu, diarrhea, and bronchitis. Beyond its medicinal uses, the Botong tree is also cultivated as an ornamental plant.
For more information, you may view this video link: https://youtu.be/9cI0AnNO6JQ
By: AALimpiada and ACMalayba