Barringtonia acutangula, Gaertn.
Family: Lecythidaceae
Common Name: Hijal --------------------------------------------------- Telugu Name: Kadami, Kalapa
General: It is generally seen in seasonal fresh water swamp forests. It generally occupies low lying areas along the edges of the .streams, rivers and round the edges of fresh water swamps. It prefers heavy and clayey soil but does not grow under saline conditions. Identified by delicately fragrant scarlet coloured flowers in slender, pendulous many flowered racemes. Flowering: June to July. |
.. The inflorescence |
Fruiting:
December to January.
Morphology of the Fruit/Seed:
Fruit is oblong, 3 cms by 1.5 ems in size, bluntly quadrangular, broadest in the middle, slightly narrowed towards the end. The fruit is crowned by the small persistent calyx. Solitary seed with thick embryo.
Seed Collection and Storage:
Ripe fruits are collected from the banks. The seeds should be sown immediately. If it is to be stored for a couple of months, the best method is to dig a pit and keep the fruits in it. Viability is short.
Seed Biology:
No. of fruits per Kg. |
No. of seeds per Kg. |
Germination percentage |
Plant percent |
No. of seedlings per Kg. of seed |
100 |
1400 |
90 |
60 |
840 |
Pretreatment:
Not necessary.
Nursery Technique:
The fruits are sown in sunken beds at 7.5 x 7.5 cms to a depth of about 0.5 cms vertically. The watering is highly essential and it is to be seen that the beds remain wet throughout. Germination continues upto 6 weeks since the seeds exhibit small period of dormancy after sowing. The seedlings are ready for planting in the next rains but 2 year old seedlings are better since the seedlings attain a height of about 30 cms in a year.