Fauna
Plant

Pong Pong

Cerbera odollam

Also known as Suicide Tree, Othalam Tree, Indian Suicide Tree

Pong pong thrives along tropical coastlines and tidal waterways, featuring glossy clustered foliage and delicate star-shaped white blossoms with vibrant yellow centers. Its heavy, green drupes drop into brackish waters where fibrous outer husks provide buoyancy, drifting across ocean currents to colonize distant shorelines. Beneath this ornamental exterior, the entire plant secretes a caustic milky latex and concentrates deadly cardiac glycosides within its seed kernels.

CoastalToxicEvergreen
Pong Pong reference1 / 7
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil minerals
ThreatsCoastal development, shoreline clearing
HabitatsMangrove margins, coastal riverbanks, brackish swamps
Life span30–60 years
Classification
  1. OrderGentianales
  2. FamilyApocynaceae
  3. GenusCerbera
  4. SpeciesCerbera odollam
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Kernels contain lethal cardiac glycosides; never consume, and remember wild fruits possess dangerous look-alikes.
Why it is dangerous
Kernels contain cerberin, an extraordinarily potent cardiac glycoside that blocks electrical conduction in heart tissue and induces fatal arrhythmias.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Recognized by spiral-arranged glossy foliage, five-petaled white flowers with yellow centers, and round green fruits fading to fibrous brown husks.
What to do
Do not touch damaged fruit or white latex; wash skin thoroughly with soap and water if accidental contact occurs.
Responsible observation
  • Visual Identification: Look for whorled leaves, white flowers with yellow centers, and mango-like drupes.
  • Safety Precaution: Never handle cracked fruit, harvest seeds, or allow domestic animals near fallen material.
  • Shoreline Etiquette: Observe fibrous drift husks washed onto beaches without handling the interior kernels.
Related species
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