184 RHIZOPHORACEAE 
Bruguiera 
2-lobed, variously tomentose. Stamens epipetalous; filaments filiform; anthers linear to oblong. Ovary 
inferior, 2-4-locular; style filiform; stigma obscurely lobed. Hypocotyl terete or slightly ridged, blunt, 
falling with fruit. 
Six species distributed from tropical Africa and Asia and Polynesia. Four species occur in the NT, 3 in the 
DR. 
1. Inflorescence 2-10-flowered; bristle in sinus of petal lobes exceeding lobes ...........:000+ B. parviflora 
1. Inflorescence 1-flowered; bristle in sinus of petal lobes not exceeding lobeS.............00+ 2 
2.  Pedicel red; hypanthium reddish, indistinctly ribbed 
2.  Pedicel green; hypanthium green, distinctly ribbed.... 
B. exaristata Ding Hou 
Tree to 8 m, bark dark grey, tessellated; stem base 
flanged; pneumatophores numerous. Stipules 
lanceolate, 21-35 mm long. Petioles 18-26 mm long. 
Leaf blades obovate, 55-115 mm long, 24-45 mm 
wide, margins often involute. Flowers pendulous, 
22-27 mm long; pedicel 6-12 mm; hypanthium ridged. 
Sepals 8-9(10), linear-lanceolate, 12-16 mm long. 
Petals 8-9(10), 10-13 mm long, caducous, bilobed, 
lobes c. 5 mm long, margins and base villous, bristle 
of sinus absent or minute. Staminal filaments 8-9 
mm long; anthers apiculate, c. 5 mm long. Style c. 
14 mm long; stigma shortly 3-lobed. Fruit turbinate, 
13-16 mm long. Hypocotyl cylindrical, slightly 
ridged, 50-72 mm long, apex blunt. Flowering and 
fruiting: all months. Fig. 58 
Widespread and common across the NT coast; also 
WA, Qld, Timor and New Guinea. Occupies mid 
zones of mangrove communities on a variety of soil 
types. 
B. gymnorrhiza (L.) Savigny 
Columnar tree to 15 m; bark dark grey to brown, 
tessellate to smooth, lenticular; stem base buttressed; 
pneumatophores numerous. Stipules 3.5-4.5 mm 
long, reddish. Petioles 28-50 mm long. Leaf blades 
elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 45-71 mm long, 
95-185 mm wide. Flowers pendulous, 32-39 mm 
long; pedicel red, c. 10 mm long; hypanthium 
reddish, terete or slightly ridged. Sepals pink to red, 
10-14(16), linear, 15-21 mm long, acute. Petals 
13-16 mm long, lobes 5-6 mm long with 2-3 bristles 
c. 3 mm long on apex, | conspicuous bristle in sinus, 
margins and base villous. Staminal filaments 9-11 
B. gymnorrhiza 
B. exaristata 
mm long; anthers linear, c. 4 mm long, mucronate. 
Style 15-20 mm long; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit turbinate, 
2-2.5 mm long. Hypocotyl 12-20 mm long, 1.5-2 mm 
wide, terete or slightly ridged, straight, blunt. 
Flowering and fruiting: all months. Fig. 58 
Common in the NT; also Qld, NSW and western 
Indo-Pacific region. Restricted distribution in the DR. 
Occupies rear zones of mangrove communities and 
also known to grow above tidal influence. Bark was 
used by Macassans to treat Trepang on Groote Eylandt 
(Levitt, 1981). 
B. parviflora (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. ex Griffith 
Slender shrub or tree to 8 m; bark grey, fissured; 
stem base slightly flanged; pneumatophores up to 
300 mm high. Stipules lanceolate, 21-40 mm 
long. Petioles 10-20 mm long. Leaf blades elliptic, 
55-105 mm long, 18-39 mm wide, margins often 
scalloped by insect attack, apex acute. Inflorescences 
3-10-flowered; peduncle 5-10 mm long; pedicel 2-7 
mm long. Flowers 6-10 mm long; hypanthium 4-6 
mm long, slightly ridged. Sepals 8, narrowly trian- 
gular, c. 2 mm long, apex acute with minute hook. 
Petals 8, oblong, 1.5-2 mm long, 3 bristles on each 
lobe, | bristle in sinus. Staminal filaments c. 1.5 mm 
long; anthers triangular, c. 0.5 mm long. Style c. 1.5 
mm long; stigma 2-3-lobed. Fruit narrowly turbinate, 
c.2mm long. Hypocotyl cylindrical, smooth, curved, 
80-150 mm long. Flowering: June - Sept; fruiting: 
Sept - Dec. Fig. 58 
Widespread and common across the NT coastline; 
also WA, Qld, SE Asia. Occupies mid to rear zones 
of mangrove communities and regularly forms 
monospecific stands. 
CARALLIA Roxb. 
A genus of c. 10 species in the Old World tropics. One species occurs in the NT and in the DR. 
