Question 1

What family does the Cannon Ball Tree belong to?

Accepted Answer

The Cannon Ball Tree, Couroupita surinamensis, belongs to the family Lecythidaceae. It is a tall tree with relatively smooth bark.

Question 2

What is the Sinhala name for Couroupita surinamensis?

Accepted Answer

It is known in Sinhala as Weradi sal.

Question 3

Is the Cannon Ball Tree native to Sri Lanka?

Accepted Answer

No. In Sri Lanka it is recorded as occurring only under cultivation, meaning it is planted rather than growing wild.

Question 4

Can you eat the fruit of the Cannon Ball Tree?

Accepted Answer

No edible parts are recorded for this species, so its fruit should not be eaten.

Question 5

How big are the flowers of Couroupita surinamensis?

Accepted Answer

The flowers grow in racemes with whitish-pink petals about 5 x 2.5 cm, and a large, spathulate, whitish andropore.

Question 6

Why is it called the Cannon Ball Tree?

Accepted Answer

The name comes from its large, rounded woody fruit, which is described as being as large as a cannon ball.