Bruguiera gymnorhiza (L.) Lam. ex Savigny

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Ecology

Sea level.

Morphology General Habit

Tree to c. 12 m high

Morphology Leaves

Leaves dark green; petiole up to 3 cm long; blade elliptic, 5–15 x 3–5 cm, base cuneate, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate, often with markedly apicular apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary, peduncle c. 1 cm long, usually recurved, buds terete; calyx with 1–2 cm long tube and (10–)12(–15) 1.8–2 cm long linear lobes; petals white, c. 1.5 cm long, with 5–7 appendages at apex; stamens with 3–5 mm long filaments and c. 4 mm long anthers

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit c. 2 cm long; hypocotyl up to c. 12 cm long while still on the tree, terete, of ± the same thickness throughout.

Distribution

N3; S2, 3 widespread along the shores of the Indian Ocean, eastwards to W Polynesia.

Rhizophoraceae, John Lewis. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1956

Morphology General Habit

Glabrous tree up to 12 m. tall (nearer half this height in our area), bark reddish-brown.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves dark green; blade narrowly to broadly elliptic, 5–15 cm. long, subacuminate above to an acute apex, cuneate below to an acute base, petiole up to 3 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary; peduncles recurved, about 1 cm. long; buds narrowly ellipsoid, terete, c. 25 × 10 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pinkish-green to reddish-brown; tube 1–2 cm. long; lobes (10–) 12 (–15), linear, 1.8–2.0 cm. long, apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white, soon turning brown, about 1.5 cm. long, conduplicate below, bifid with a median seta, stiffly pubescent, especially below; lobes 3–3.5 mm. long, (bi- or) tri-ciliate apically.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Anthers 4 mm. long, dorsifixed, mucronate above; filaments 6 or 8 mm. long (one shorter and one longer in each pair).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 3-celled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit turbinate, 2 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Hypocotyl up to 11 cm. long on tree, terete or only shallowly and bluntly longitudinally ridged, swollen ± uniformly throughout length.

Figures

Fig. 3.

Habitat

Intertidal mud-flats and estuaries; on the less exposed parts; sea level

Distribution

K5 P T3 T6 T8 Z Portuguese East Africa, Madagascar, South Africa and widely ranging to the East like Rhizophora mucronata but neither extending so far beyond the tropics nor so far into the Pacific Ocean (but see Note below)

Rhizophoraceae, A. R. Torre and A. E. Gonçalves. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or tree up to 7(15) m. high; branches terete, smooth with subcircular scars of the petioles of the fallen leaves and annular scars of the fallen stipules; bark fibrous, light brown, reddish-brown or grey.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina usually 6–12 x 2–6 cm., narrowly to broadly elliptic or sometimes obovate-elliptic; apex acute, subacute or shortly acuminate; margins somewhat revolute; base narrowed into the petiole, cuneate or subcuneate; midrib rather prominent below, lateral nerves slightly prominent above and just visible to obscure beneath; petiole usually 1–3 cm. long; stipules up to 4 x 1 cm., entire and involute, acute at the apex and truncate at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary, peduncles c. 1 cm. long, ± terete, arching; flower-buds c. 27 x 7 mm., narrowly ellipsoid, acute, strongly ribbed, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx pinkish-green to reddish-brown; calyx-tube 1–2 cm. long, obconical; calyx-lobes (10)12(14), 1·5–2 cm. long, triquetrous, narrow, very acute at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals c. 1·5 cm. long, ± oblong, conduplicate and costate inside, 2-lobed at the apex (the sinus with a median seta c. 4 mm. long and the lobes c. 5 mm. long, obtuse, apically 2–3-fimbriate), white or cream, soon turning brown, sparsely hirsute at the margins and densely hirsute at the base, coriaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens (20)24(28), paired, oppositipetalous; filaments 6 or 8 mm. long; anthers c. 6 mm. long, mucronate at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary c. 4 mm. long, (2)3(4)-locular; style c. 20 mm. long, shortly (2)3(4)-lobed at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a turbinate berry crowned by the calyx-lobes, unilocular, 1-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Hypocotyl

Hypocotyl up to 15 cm. long and 1·2 cm. in diameter while on the tree, only narrowing a little at both extremities, shallowly and bluntly longitudinally ridged.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/178803/7610926

Conservation

LC - least concern