Cerbera manghas

Cerbera manghas
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Cerbera
Species:	C. manghas
Binomial name
Cerbera manghas L.
Synonyms
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.

Cerbera manghas,^[1] the sea mango, is a small evergreen coastal tree growing up to 12 metres (39 ft) tall. 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.

Description[]

Cerbera manghas is naturally distributed from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean eastward to French Polynesia. It occupies coastal habitats and is often associated with mangrove forests.

This tree has been introduced to Hawaii and other tropical locations as an ornamental.

Poison[]

The leaves and the fruits contain the potent cardiac glycoside cerberin, which is extremely poisonous if ingested.

People in olden times used the sap of the tree as a poison for animal hunting.^[2]

In Madagascar, the seeds were used in ordeals called tangena, with often deadly results.

The fruit was reportedly eaten to commit suicide in the Marquesas Islands (Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore).

In Hawaii, Cerbera manghas is sometimes called "suicide apple" or "tonga tabu".^{[citation needed]}

Goffin's cockatoo is the only known creature that eats sea mangos.^[3]

Mythology[]

Because of its deadly poisonous seeds, the genus name is derived from Cerberus, the hell dog from the Greek mythology, thus indicating the toxicity of the seeds. In Madagascar, the seeds were used in sentence rituals to poison kings and queens.^[2]

Uses[]

In Sri Lanka, this wood is used for making masks particularly because it is a light wood. Used for making bio-insecticides & deodorants.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery[]

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  C. manghas flower

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  C. manghas tree

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  Unripe fruit in Indonesia

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Cerbera manghas at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Cerbera manghas at Wikispecies