CORAL, BY MERTA UNDERBILL, 



D7 



The tide naturally carries it on to one of these coral islands. Here 

 it fastens itself by the roots very strongly and grows very rapidly. 



Its branches send out aerial roots, so called because they live in the 

 air. These aerial roots send out roots called buttress roots which clasp the 

 rocks and hold the tree in place. The mangrove is so strongly held by the 

 roots that the wind and storms cannot blow it down or break it. Soon 

 the tree has spread itself over the entire island. 



As the mangrove, in order to live, requires its roots to be submerged 

 in saltwater twice a day, those in the center, which the tide does not 

 reach, die. They decay and form earth. 



The cocoanut tree now comes to take its place. The cocoanut thrives 

 best when its roots are washed in salt water once a day. As the sea-weed., 

 waste matter, and debris are brought in by the tide they get lodged in the 

 grove of roots of the mangrove, and so decay and make more earth. As 

 more cocoanuts and mangroves die and decay and new ones grow aga in 

 the island becomes fertile and ready for inhabitants, 



Fig. 31, 



1 \ \ 





Mangrove, by Edward J. Fuller, 



