Conocarpus erectus L.
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Authority
Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.
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Family
Combretaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - From the 3 other kinds of salt-loving trees known as Mangroves, or Mangles, this is readily distinguished by small, clustered, round heads of very small flowers and fruits. It is a sea-coast tree, or shrub, unable to exist beyond saline influence, attaining greatest size along salt-water marshes or lagoons, frequent in Porto Rico and inhabiting also the small islands Mona, Vieques, and Culebra. The geographic distribution extends throughout tropical America, north to Florida and to Bermuda, and also to tropical parts of the Old World. The genus Conocarpus (Greek, referring to the cone-like, dense clusters of small fruits) is monotypic, consisting of the following species only. Conocarpus erecta (upright), may become a tree about 20 meters high, but is usually much smaller, often shrubby, and not over 1 meter in height; the bark is astringent, the twigs angled, or narrowly winged. The alternate, short-stalked, untoothed leaves are elliptic, or oval, from 2 to 7, rarely 10, centimeters long, silky-hairy, or nearly smooth, firm in texture, their stalks bearing 2, small glands. The small heads of flowers and fruits (with fancied resemblance to buttons, whence the popular names), are several, or many, in stalked clusters, and from 5 to 8 millimeters in diameter when in bloom; the individual flowers are greenish, with a flattened, hairy, 5-lobed calyx 2 or 3 millimeters long, and without petals; the usually 5 stamens have slender, elongated filaments, and small, heart-shaped anthers; the 1-celled ovary contains 2 ovules, the style is slender, and hairy. The densely aggregated, scale-like, 2-winged fruits are from 4 to 7 millimeters long, forming reddish-brown heads from 9 to 15 millimeters long.
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Discussion
Mangle boton Button-tree White Mangrove Family Conocarpus erecta Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 176. 1753.