COMBRETUM FAMILY (COMBRETACEAE) 



183. Mangle bianco, white-mangrove 



One of the 4 species of mangrove swamp forests 

 on brackish siUy seashores, mangle bianco is char- 

 acterized by: (1) opposite, leathery and slightly 

 fleshy, elliptic leaves l^-i inches long and 1-2 

 inches broad, rounded at both ends, dull yellow 

 green on both sides and borne on reddish petioles 

 with 2 raised gland dots near apex; (2) gray- 

 brown bark becoming rough and fissured; (3) 

 many small bell-shaped whitish flowers about %6 

 inch long, stalkless in terminal and lateral clusters 

 1-4 inches long; and (4) clusters of velvety gray- 

 green fruits %-% inch long, slightly pear-shaped 

 (obovoid), flattened and with ridges. 



Commonly a small evergreen tree to 40 feet 

 high and 1 foot in trunk diameter, sometimes 

 larger. Many trees consist of a clump of stems 

 which liave sprouted after cutting. The inner bark 

 is light brown, bitter and astringent. Twigs are 

 greenish or reddish brown when young but be- 

 coming brown, hairless, and thickened at nodes. 



The leaves have stout petioles %-i/4 inch long. 

 Leaf blades are without toothed edges, visible 

 veins, or hairs. 



Flower clusters (panicles) are generally 

 branched and spreading, the fragrant flowers 

 mostly bisexual (or a few male). The minutely 

 liairy, whitish tubular base (hypanthium) is less 

 than % inch long and broad, bearing 2 minute 

 scales (bracts), 5 spreading blunt-pointed whitish 

 sepals less than i/^e inch long, and 5 rounded 

 whitish petals i/ie inch long; there are 10 stamens; 

 and pistil with inferior 1-celled ovary with 2 

 ovules, slender style, and minutely 2-lobed stigma. 



The slightly fleshy fruit (drupe) is minutely 

 hairy, gray green when immature and brownish at 

 maturity, broadest near the apex, which has sepals 

 remaining attached. It floats and is disseminated 

 by water. There is 1 large seed which starts to en- 

 large and sometimes begins germination withm the 

 fruit on the tree or floating in the water. Flower- 

 ing and fruiting nearly throughout the year. 



Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f. 



The sapwood is light brown, and the heartwood 

 yellowish brown. The wood is moderately heavy 

 (specific gravity 0.6), hard, and strong, but not 

 very durable. In Puerto Rico used mainly for 

 posts, fuel, or charcoal, and sometimes for tool 

 handles and similar objects. Elsewhere the wood 

 has served also for construction. The bark con- 

 tains tannin and has been employed in tanning and 

 medicinally. 



A rapidly growing tree which may flower and 

 fruit when less than 2 years old. Also a honey 

 plant. 



The most widely distributed of the mangrove 

 species in Puerto Rico. Grows along the silty 

 shores of lagoons and estuaries near the coast. 

 Also in Mona, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. 

 John, and Anegada. 



Public forests. — Aguirre, Boqueron, Ceiba, 

 Guanica, San Juan. 



R.^NGE. — Shores of central and southern Florida 

 including Florida Keys, Bermuda, and nearly 

 throughout West Indies (excep!^ Dominica) from 

 Bahamas and Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago and 

 Dutch West Indies. On both coasts of continental 

 tropical America from Mexico south to Ecuador 

 and northwestern Peru and to Brazil. Also in 

 western tropical Africa. 



Other common names.^ — mangle bobo (Puerto 

 Rico) ; mangel (Virgin Islands) ; mangle bianco 

 (Spanish) ; mangle amarillo, mangle prieto 

 (Dominican Republic) ; pataban (Cuba) ; cin- 

 cahuite (El Salvador) ; palo de sal, mangle mare- 

 quita (Costa Rica) ; mangle amarillo (Vene- 

 zuela) ; white-mangrove, white button wood 

 (United States, English); gi'een turtle-bough 

 (Bahamas); coil (British Guiana); mangle, 

 manglier blanc (Haiti) ; paletuvier (French) ; 

 mangle blanc, manglier blanc (Guadeloupe) ; 

 akira (Surinam) ; mangue, mangue branco 

 (Brazil). 



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