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Rhizophora mucronata
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Family:
RHIZOPHORACEAE
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Citation: Rhizophora mucronata Poir. in Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 2: 517. 1794; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 435. 1878; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 456(323). 1919; M. Mohanan & Henry, Fl. Thiruvanthapuram 180. 1994; Anupama & Sivad., Rheedea 14: 36. 2004; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 279. 2009.
Rhizophora mangle Roxb., Fl. Ind. 459. 1832.
Rhizophora candelaria Wight & Arn., Prodr. 310. 1834, non DC. 1828.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Panachikandal, Pranthan kandal, Pikandal
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Evergreen trees, to 6 m high; branches horizontal; trunk and lower branches supported by numerous profusely looping stilt-roots and prop roots, lenticellate, bark brown, longitudinally fissured; branchlets, terete, brownish-green, glabrous, with prominent, rough, thick, brown layer of stipular scar, prominent. Leaves simple, opposite decussate, stipulate, clustered at the shoot apex; stipules 2, interpetiolar, 6 x 1.2 cm, pale green with pinkish tinge, overlapping the apical bud, subcylindric; petiole 25-35 mm long, stout, glabrous, grooved above, pale green; lamina 12.5-14.5 x 5.5-8.5 cm, elliptic-ovate, base cuneate, apex mucronate, glabrous, coriaceous, green above, pale green beneath with numerous black dots; lateral veins 8-9 pairs, pinnate, slender, inconspicuous, secondary laterals also present, intercostae reticulate. Flowers bisexual, yellowish-white, 2.5 x 1.5 cm, in axillary dichotomously or trichotomously branched or unbranched 2-4 flowered cymes; peduncle 3-5 cm long, terete, glabrous, pendulous; bracts small, cupular; pedicel 5 mm long; bracteole 2, connate to form a dilated cupular part enclosing the base of the calyx tube; calyx yellowish-white, calyx tube smooth, enclosing the base of the pistil, lobes 4, 1.2 x 0.6 cm, ovate, acute, thick, fleshy, glabrous; petals 4, 1 x 0.2 cm, white, lanceolate, densely hairy along the margins, hairs white, uniseriate; stamens 8, free, inserted on the margin of the receptacular disc; filaments 2 mm long, terete, anthers basifixed, multilocellate; pistil conoid; ovary half inferior, inserted within and fused with the calyx cup, ovules 2 in each cell, pendulous; style short; stigma bifid. Fruit a drupe, 5-7 cm long, ovoid or conoid, pericarp brown, thick, leathery, glabrous, calyx lobes reflexed, brown; seed one, hypocotyl 50 x 1.8 cm, cylindric, slightly curved, tapering towards the radicle end, surface rough warty, green; cotyledonary collar protruded and exposed on maturity.
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Habit:
Tree
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Flowering & Fruiting:
April-October
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District(s):
Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kollam, Kottayam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikkode, Kannur, Kasaragode
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Mangrove swamps
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Distribution:
Paleotropics
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Aquatic:
Yes
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Yellow, White
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Veli, Aroor, Mangadichira
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