Blind Your Eye Mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha)
Scientific Name: Excoecaria agallocha — Blind-Your-Eye Mangrove or Milky Mangrove.
Native Home: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, coastal China, northern Australia, and Pacific islands.
Height: Typically 5–15 m.
Lifespan: Several decades; a reliable average lifespan is not well established.
Excoecaria agallocha
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Uses and Harvesting
Timber: Wood traditionally used for fuelwood and some local wooden products.
Harvesting: Wood has been collected for fuel, and plant compounds have been used traditionally for dyes and other purposes. Harvesting must follow local mangrove-protection laws.
Age to Harvest: No universal commercial harvest age; growth depends on habitat and growing conditions.
Products: Fuelwood, local wooden products, traditional plant materials, and coastal-restoration seedlings.
India Flora
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History and Global Production
Traditional Use: The wood has traditionally been used as fuel, and various plant parts have featured in traditional practices.
Global Spread: Distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia to the western Pacific, including India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands. It grows along backwaters, estuaries, and mangrove-forest margins. Warning: Its milky latex is poisonous and can cause severe eye irritation, temporary blindness, and skin blistering. Avoid contact with the sap.
Excoecaria agallocha
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