Cerbera manghas

Cerbera manghas,[1] the sea mango, is a small evergreen coastal tree growing up to 12 metres (39 ft) tall. It is native to coastal areas in Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific islands. It is classified as one of the three species in the genus Cerbera that constitute mangroves.

Cerbera manghas
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Cerbera
Species:
C. manghas
Binomial name
Cerbera manghas
Synonyms
Synonyms list
    • Cerbera linnaei Montrouz.
    • Cerbera manghas var. acutisperma Boiteau
    • Cerbera manghas f. luteola Boiteau
    • Cerbera manghas var. mugfordii (F.M.Bailey) Domin
    • Cerbera odollam var. mugfordii F.M.Bailey
    • Cerbera tanghin Hook.
    • Cerbera venenifera (Poir.) Steud.
    • Elcana seminuda Blanco
    • Odollamia manghas (L.) Raf.
    • Odollamia moluca Raf.
    • Tabernaemontana obtusifolia Poir.
    • Tanghinia manghas (L.) G.Don
    • Tanghinia veneneflua G.Don
    • Tanghinia venenifera Poir.

Description

The shiny dark-green leaves grow in a spiral arrangement, and are ovoid in shape. The flowers are fragrant, possessing a white tubular five-lobed corolla about 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in) in diameter, with a pink to red throat. They have five stamens and the ovary is positioned above the other flower parts. The fruits are egg-shaped, 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long. At maturity they turn bright red.

Toxicity

The leaves and the fruits contain the potent cardiac glycoside cerberin, which is extremely poisonous if ingested. This was utilised in trials by ordeal done towards criminal suspects in the Merina Kingdom ruling the island of Madagascar[2][3] until the practice was abolished during Radama II's reign. On the opposite spectrum, Fijians use its (vasa, rewa) leaves in dried form to treat skin irritations and eye pains.[4]

Long ago, people used the sap of the tree as a poison for animal hunting.[5]

Goffin's cockatoo is one of the creatures known to eat sea mangos.[6] In addition, the Coconut crab can become toxic to humans if it eats too much sea mango due to a buildup of cardiac cardenolides.

  • Flower
    Flower
  • Unripe fruit
    Unripe fruit

References
  1. POWO: Cerbera manghas L.
  2. "33. Le Tanghin (Cerbera)". Catalogue des fruits et des plantes modelés (in French). Paris: Carporama. 1829. pp. 25–26.
  3. Boiteau, Pierre (1999). "tangena". Dictionnaire des noms malgaches de végétaux (in French). Vol. III. Editions Alzieu – via Malagasy Dictionary and Malagasy Encyclopedia.
  4. Keppel, Gunnar; Ghazanfar, Shahina A. (2011). Trees of Fiji: A Guide to 100 Rainforest Trees (third, revised ed.). Secretariat of the Pacific Community & Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit. pp. 44–5.
  5. "Cerbera manghas L." Flora Fauna Web. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  6. Yirka, Bob (September 3, 2021). "Wild cockatoos observed making and using tools to eat sea mango pits". phys.org.


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