Warning

Seek urgent medical attention if any part is chewed or eaten.

Description

An evergreen shrub or small tree to 10m commonly found in coastal habitats and scrubs close to the foreshore.

Fragrant flowers are white with a pink throat, tubular with five petals, 3 to 5cm in diameter and held at the ends of the branches.

Leaves are prominently veined, glossy dark green, 7.5cm to 20cm long and 2 to 6cm wide tapered to a fine tip, oblong to obovate in shape and spirally arranged.

Toxicity

  • Extremely toxic

  • Irritant to skin or eyes

Symptoms

All parts of the plant are poisonous particularly the unripe fruit. Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhoea, slow heart beat and drowsiness The white latex can also irritate skin and eyes.

Details

Common name: Sea mango

Botanical nameCerbera manghas

Other toxic speciesCerbera dumicola, C. floribunda and C. inflata

Other common names: Native frangipani

Family: Apocynaceae

General description: An evergreen shrub or small tree to 10m commonly found in coastal habitats and scrubs close to the foreshore.

Flowers: Fragrant flowers are white with a pink throat, tubular with five petals, 3 to 5cm in diameter and held at the ends of the branches.

Leaves: Leaves are prominently veined, glossy dark green, 7.5cm to 20cm long and 2 to 6cm wide tapered to a fine tip, oblong to obovate in shape and spirally arranged.

Fruit/Berries: Ellipsoid fruit are up to 7cm long and 5cm wide, ripening reddish purple to black, with a smooth succulent outer coat and a woody one-seeded kernel.

Last updated: July 2023