Rhizophora mangle L.

  • Authority

    Britton, Nathaniel L. & Millspaugh, Charles F. 1920. The Bahama Flora.

  • Family

    Rhizophoraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Rhizophora mangle L.

  • Description

    Species Description - A shrub or tree, reaching a height of 10 m. or more, forming impenetrable thickets by the greatly elongating radicles of the embryo and the numerous roots. Leaves 5-15 cm. long, leathery, elliptic or elliptic-obovate, obtuse, with a stout midrib; petioles 0.5-1.5 cm. in length; peduncles 1-4 cm. long, 2-3-flowered; pedicels stout, 5-10 mm. long; bractlets scale-like; calyx-tube fleshy, turbinate or campanulate the lobes 3-5 mm. long; sepals lanceolate, about 1 cm. long, involute, keeled within, very firm, recurved at maturity; petals pale yellow, linear or nearly so, cleft at the tip, involute above the middle, cob webby along the edges; anthers clustered around the style; fruit 2-3 cm.long, curved, the radicle protruding as a narrowly clavate pendent body.

  • Distribution

    Maritime shores and salinas. throughout the archipelago : Bermuda : Florida ; West Indies ; Mexico to Brazil ; west coast of Africa ; Pacific islands. Mangrove. Catesby, 2 : pi. 63.

    Bermuda South America| Florida United States of America North America| West Indies| México Mexico North America| Brazil South America|