Sonneratia 131 
SONNERATIACEAE 
A small family of only 2 genera and c. 10 species; all native to the tropics of the Old World. Only 
Sonneratia in Australia and the NT. 
SONNERATIA Lf. 
Evergreen glabrous trees, with pneumatophores; branchlets quadrangular. Stipules evident on young 
growth as reddish swollen outgrowths, obscure on older growth. Leaves decussate, simple, entire, coriaceous, 
finely and obscurely pellucid dotted with larger scattered brown resinous dots, apex recurved and thickened. 
Inflorescence a bracteate terminal dichasium, usually 1-flowered at maturity. Flowers sessile or shortly 
pedicellate, large, actinomorphic, bisexual. Hypanthium cupular. Sepals 5-7, triangular, coriaceous, persistent 
in fruit. Petals equal in number to the sepals or wanting, linear. Stamens white, numerous in several series, 
inserted on rim of hypanthium; anthers versatile, reniform. Ovary superior, sessile, 10-20-locular; stigma 
capitate. Fruit a green depressed globular berry with leathery pericarp; hypanthium, calyx and style base 
persistent. Seeds numerous, embedded in firm flesh of fruit. 
A genus of c. 6 species with 4 in Australia; 2 in the NT, both recorded for the DR. [Backer & van Steenis, 
1951; Duke & Jackes 1987; Wightman, 1989; Hewson, 1990] 
ih. Leaves + sessile, lanceolate or elliptic, 2.7-4.8 times as long as wide; 
fruitswiden thanlhypanthinmiPresrccctateccttersecctsracsreeestttitssrtesstssestrcresterteentectertrettt tte S. lanceolata 
ih. Leaves petiolate, broadest towards apex, 1-3 times as long as wide; 
fruit c. equal in width to hypanthium ....... ec ceesssessssesesesesssesessscssssscsssesesssssssseeneeeeeeees S. alba 
; i i i r min 
S. alba Smith brown, smooth with fine fissures or becoming 
platy; pneumatophores stout, blunt, to 25 cm high. 
Broadly crowned tree to 8 m; bark cream to _ Petioles 6-15 mm long. Leaf blades + orbicular, 
Sonneratia 
ovary 
hypanthium 
L.S. of flower 
S. alba S. lanceolata 
Fig. 40 
