CHAPTER XXX 



THE VIVIPAROUS MANGROVES OF FIJI 



RHIZOPHORA AND BRUGUIERA 



Rhizophora. Represented by Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora mangle, and 

 the Selala, a seedless intermediate form. Their mode of association and 

 characters. The relation of the Selala. Polyembryony. The history of 

 the plant between the fertilisation of the ovule and the detachment of the 

 seedling. Absence of a rest period. Mode of detachment of the seedling. 

 Capacity for dispersal by the currents. Bruguiera. The mode of dis- 

 persal. Peculiar method of fertilisation. Length of period between 

 fertilisation and the detachment of the seedling. Mode of detachment of 

 the seedling. Summary. 



BETWEEN 1897 and 1899 I made numerous observations on the 

 Fijian species of Rhizophora and Bruguiera (mostly around the 

 coasts of Vanua Levu and in the Rewa delta) ; and these were 

 supplemented in the early part of 1904 by observations on the first- 

 named genus in Ecuador. I did not make any collections in Fiji 

 until Prof. Schimper asked me to obtain specimens ; and a fair- 

 sized collection containing specimens dried, and preserved in spirit, 

 was sent to him. His illness and death shortly followed, and I 

 lost the advantage of his great experience in these matters. In a 

 letter written to me in 1898 he expressed the hope that I would 

 publish my notes on the mangroves of Fiji. Years have since 

 passed by, and as I read again his words of encouragement I take 

 up once more the interrupted task. 



RHIZOPHORA 



Of the three species of this genus, two of them, Rhizophora 

 mucronata and R. conjugata, are Asiatic and are unknown in 



