Image: Wikimedia Commons (See link for license)
Barringtonia
Barringtonia asiatica
サガリバナ
An evergreen tall tree distributed along tropical coasts from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, found wild in coastal forests of Okinawa, Japan. It produces large white to pale pink flowers at night, emitting a sweet fragrance. The square, corky fruits are dispersed by ocean currents.
Identification Points
- ✓Large white flowers opening at night (conspicuous numerous stamens)
- ✓Square corky fruits dispersed by drifting on ocean currents
- ✓Large evergreen tree growing in coastal forests
Habitat
Coastal forests of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands
Season
June–August (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Habitat
Coastal
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Petal count
Many
Stipules
Absent
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Positionサガリバナ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Ericales > Lecythidaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 80 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Lecythidaceae is a tropical family that includes the Brazil nut. The corky, sea-dispersed fruits represent an evolutionary adaptation enabling long-distance dispersal between islands.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification