Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F.Gaertn.
-
Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
-
Family
Combretaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Species Description - Small tree or shrub, to 15 m tall; root system with branched pneumatophores, sticking out of the ground. Leaves opposite; blades 3-8.5 x 2-4.6 cm, coriaceous, elliptic or seldom ovate, glabrous, the blade with submarginal, glandular pits, the apex rounded, rarely slightly notched, the base obtuse, the margins entire; petioles 1.5-2 cm long, with 2 marginal, slightly prominent glands. Flowers bisexual, regular, with a short hypanthium produced in axillary spikes; hypanthium densely sericeous, 5 mm long; calyx of 5 lobes, ca. 2 mm long; corolla of 5 minute (1.5 mm long), deciduous, obovate petals; stamens 10, exserted, the anthers versatile; nectary disk flattened, surrounding the style; ovary inferior, unilocular, surrounded by the hypanthium, the style long-exserted. Fruit a leathery, densely sericeous drupe, slightly flattened, ellipsoid to club-shaped and ridged, with persistent calyx at apex, 1.5-2 cm long.
Distribution and Ecology - Common along the coast in mangrove swamps and along sandy beaches. Great Cruz Bay (A791), Fish Bay (A3902). Also on Jost van Dyke, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; throughout tropical America and western Africa.
-
Discussion
Common name: white mangrove.