Beach Vegetation
Description: Beach vegetation is highly specialised and adapted to growing in a very particular habitat - the thin strip of land between the sea and the hills and forests behind. Because it only occupies such a narrow strip of land, beach forest is one of the rarer forest types in Sarawak. 
The plants in beach forest have to be able to cope with storms and high tides, as well as the salt water. Like mangroves, this vegetation plays a critical role in protecting and stabilising the coastline. Lack of fresh water and salty winds have meant that the plants have had to adapt to avoid water loss, by developing thick bark and leathery leaves. The conditions also mean that many have very strong and hardy wood as well.
Many of the plants found along the beaches have a range of traditional medicinal uses as well.
Plants: Commonly encountered beach plants include the beautiful sea-almond or pagoda tree (Terminalia catappa, katapa in Malay), which gets rid of excess salt by shedding all its leaves twice a year.
Sea hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) grows into medium sized bushy trees, and has beautiful yellow flowers - romanticised in films of polynesian beauties wearing one behind the ear.
Barringtonia asiatica, a medium-sized tree produces very fragrant flowers which resemble giant pink puffballs. The Malay name for this tree is putat laut, and it was traditionally used for poisoning fish in streams, which could then be easily collected for eating.
Cycads, such as Cycas rumpii,are "living fossils" which resemble small palm trees or ferns, but are in fact primitive plants, related to trees living 200 million years ago.
A tree-like pandan (screw pine), Pandanus odoratissimus, grows along beaches and in some of the touger rockier coastal areas.
Morning glory (Ipomea pes-caprae) is a creeper which grows across the sand, holding it in place against the eroding forces of rain, wind and tide. It has pretty purple flowers.
A type of hardy casuarina, Casuarina equisetifolia (rhu laut in Malay), also plays an important role in stabilising coastlines, and are a protected species because of this.
Best places to see: The best places to see beach forest (covered in this website) are at Bako National Park and Tanjung Datu National Park. It can also be seen at other beach locations, including Similajau National Park.