Laguncularia C.F.Gaertn.

  • Authority

    Stace, C. A. & Alwan, A.-R A. 2010. Combretaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 107: 1-369. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Combretaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Laguncularia C.F.Gaertn.

  • Type

    Type. Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C. F. Gaertn.

  • Synonyms

    Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F.Gaertn., Sphenocarpus, Rhizaeris Raf., Rhizaeris alba Raf., Conocarpus racemosus L.

  • Description

    Genus Description - Mangrove shrubs or trees, with stilt-roots and often simple pneumatophores, not spiny; combretaceous hairs the only trichomes present apart from glandular pits on leaves. Leaves opposite, with scattered but mainly submarginal minute pits on both surfaces each with basal sessile gland, without domatia, with petiolar glands. Inflorescence usually leafless axillary or terminal spikes or racemes of spikes, bracts very small and caducous. Flowers mostly bisexual but often some unisexual (mostly male) ones and sometimes (? usually) dioecious, 5-merous, actinomorphic, sessile, with two lateral prophylls (bracteoles) fused to lower hypanthium; upper hypanthium short, cupuliform; calyx lobes 5; petals 5, slightly exceeding calyx lobes; stamens 10, included or more or less so, with versatile anthers; style free, glabrous. Fruit a slightly compressed longitudinally ridged nut with the upper hypanthium and calyx persistent upon it and the two prophylls (bracteoles) still evident. Chromosome Numbers. No chromosome counts have been traced, an unfortunate and surprising gap in our knowledge.

  • Discussion

    Taxonomic History. Laguncularia was described by Gaertner in 1807 for one species formerly in Conocarpus L., from which it differs in the presence of petals and in having two prophylls (bracteoles) adnate to the lower hypanthium. The very few species described since are not specifically distinct.

    Chrminology. Leaf length excludes petiole. Leaf venation terminology follows Hickey (1973); descriptions refer to leaf abaxial surface. All flower measurements are taken from boiled material; dried material is obviously smaller. Flower length includes the ovary and calyx lobes, but not petals, stamens and style.

  • Distribution

    One species in tropical America and tropical West Africa (Fig. 28, see species for details). It is vicarious with the other combretaceous mangrove genus, Lumnitzera Willd. (East Tropical Africa through Asia to Australia).

    Africa| Asia| Australia Oceania|