Terminalia catappa
The sea almond, whose fruit is shaped like a boat, is a representative of sea drift plants, which spread to different continents and islands by sea currents. It is widely distributed in the wild, and can be found in Taiwan, Hainan Island, Malaysia, India and the Pacific Islands, mainly in coastal forests. The distribution in Taiwan is limited to the Hengchun Peninsula, Orchid Island, Lambai Island, Green Island and Penghu, and is an important component of the local tropical coastal forests.
The sea almond is robust and adaptable to the environment. The large leaves are shiny and beautiful, and will turn red before falling. The large number of red leaves falling in low temperature makes the beautiful color-changing foliage in tropical Taiwan not inferior to that of temperate deciduous forests. The shape of the tree is like an umbrella, providing good shade, and it is planted in many parks and green areas. However, the sea almond often has buttress roots, which can easily damage the ground or affect the pedestrians, so it is less often planted as a sidewalk tree on the roadside. The museum has planted a few sea almond trees in the outdoor garden near Boguan Road, and the wide shade is a good place for visitors to take a rest and enjoy the cool air. There are also large trees in the Coral Atoll Area and the Littoral Forest Area of the Botanical Garden, and the red foliage is quite eye-catching from the end of December every year to the end of February the following year.
In Taiwan, it is common to see fallen ripened fruits under the sea almond trees in winter. After these fruits have been exposed to the sun, wind and rain for a period of time, the fleshy outer layer disappears, revealing the foam-like structure of the mesocarp, which is the secret weapon of the sea almond in spreading its fruits. The light and soft texture allows the fruit to float along with the water after falling into the sea, and carried by the ocean currents to different seashores. If the environment is suitable, the seed inside the fruit will germinate, and the new shoot that just grow out is curly, which is very cute.