CONTENTS
Flora index
Fauna index
guide to the mangroves of singapore
Flowering plants
Peter K L Ng and N Sivasothi (editors)
 
Buta-buta
Excoecaria agallocha
Family Euphorbiaceae

South India to southern Japan, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands. Locally in various northern sites. Small, evergreen or deciduous, unisexual tree, rarely up to 20 m tall, exuding poisonous white latex from all broken surfaces.
wide shot of whole tree
Excoecaria agallocha
tree


close-up of branch
Latex dripping
from cut branch


wide-shot of trees growing on mound
Typical cluster of tree
bases with spreading
roots on a mud lobster
mound
flowering branch of male inflorescence
Male inflorescence

close-up of female inflorescence
Female inflorescence

close-up of fruits at various stages of ripeness
Fruits
Young leaves pink and old leaves withering scarlet, blades elliptic, with upcurled sides.

Male inflorescences hanging, narrow, 5-1 0 cm long; female inflorescences shorter, 1-4-cm long.

Grows on both muddy and stony soil, with its roots spreading. Timber used as firewood, for carpentry purpose and converted to charcoal. Latex in the eye can cause blinding and blisters on bare skin; exploited as a fish-poison. Rare.
What is mangrove?
Introduction

The Ecosystem
Abiotic
Biotic

Value
Intro
Products
Indirect uses
Potential uses

About Mangroves
in Singapore
History
Mangroves to visit
Conservation
 
From "A Guide to Mangroves of Singapore", Peter K. L. Ng and N. Sivasothi (editors)
Volume 1: The Ecosystem and Plant Diversity and Volume 2: Animal Diversity
Authors: Kelvin K. P. Lim, Dennis H. Murphy, T. Morgany, N. Sivasothi, Peter K. L. Ng,
B. C. Soong, Hugh T. W. Tan, K. S. Tan & T. K. Tan
BP Guide to Nature Series published by the Singapore Science Centre, sponsored by British Petroleum
© 2001 Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, The National University of Singapore & The Singapore Science Centre