ALONG THE MANGROVE SHORE 259 



inch to an inch in diameter and are very tender 

 about the growing points where they may be 

 snapped off like a young shoot of asparagus. 

 Each rounded point is protected by a closely 

 fitting, horny, brown cap, and if, before it reaches 

 the mud, this should become loosened or torn off 

 the root will not grow. As the swinging roots 

 often strike each other or may be abraded in 

 various ways they are not infrequently injured. 

 Then, as a general thing, several roots branch out 

 above the injured and dead point, aU of which may 

 persist until they reach the mud and become 

 attached. By this means the tree gets even a 

 firmer hold than if nothing had happened and turns 

 misfortune into a positive advantage. 



In order to extend its area the mangrove resorts 

 to strange expediencies. Really it seems endowed 

 with intelligence and cunning, so completely does 

 it adapt itself to its very peculiar environment 

 and profit by every feature of it. Average normal 

 seeds do not grow until in the ground some time, 

 in fact botanists now hold that many do not even 

 ripen on the plant already exhausted by strain of 

 blossoming and seeding and that they are cast off 

 while still immature. Hence it is that certain 



