Philippine Native Tree: Botong/Bitoon (Barringtonia asiatica)
Botong or Bitoon has a distinct tetragonal fruit or lantern-shaped. At first, it is green, and eventually, it will become brown. Apart from the unique shape of Botong’s fruit, it also has the characteristic of being buoyant or the ability to float on water because of its spongy middle layer filled with air sacs like coconut. This feature is a big help because the natural habitat of Botong is by the shore.
According to records, It can float and survive with a viable fruit for up to two years. It is not just the remarkable fruit in Botong, big and attractive are its flowers and boots. The stamens are long, white at the bottom then become pink and sometimes purplish above. Then at the very top, there are these dots of yellow. These are called anthers. These are where the pollens are stored. It looks like the flowers of Malauban or Planchonia spectabilis. The difference is with Malauban, it is pink at the base and then white above. It is also smaller.
Meanwhile, the leaves of Botong have no petioles, meaning they are attached directly to the stem.
In English, Botong is called Fish Poison Tree because of the traditional use of its seeds. Its seeds have a toxin that is said to cause hemolysis in fish. This is the damaging of the red blood cells which carry oxygen that’s why they suffocate and die. The other chemicals found in Botong’s seeds like saponins and terpenoids, can potentially become ingredients for organic pesticides. Botong is also often cultivated as a garden tree and shade tree in urban areas and residential areas.