Rhizophora 
R. stylosa Griff. 
Tree, multitrunked or columnar, to 10 m; bark black, 
smooth to fissured; stilt roots to 3 m; numerous 
aerial roots from lower branches. Stipules 39-58 mm 
long. Petioles 12-31 mm long. Leaf blades broadly 
elliptic, 65-120 mm long, 33-74 mm wide, under- 
surface regularly spotted, base broadly cuneate, apex 
obtuse to acute with prominent mucro to 4 mm long. 
Inflorescences with 3-5 dichotomies, up to 32- 
flowered; each dichotomy subtended by a 4-lobed 
bract. Calyx lobes broadly lanceolate, 9-13 mm long, 
acute. Corolla lobes lanceolate, 9-11 mm long, 
RHIZOPHORACEAE 189 
margins woolly, hairs 3-4 mm long. Stamens 4-8; 
anthers almost sessile, 8-9 mm long. Ovary depressed 
conical, c. 1.5 mm long; style c. 6 mm long, terete- 
filiform, bilobed. Fruit 26-31 mm long, neck distinctly 
contracted. Hypocotyl cylindrical, 200-350 mm long. 
Flowering and fruiting: all year. Fig. 59 
WA, Qld, NSW, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, 
Indonesia and New Guinea. Widespread and 
common in the DR and elsewhere along the NT 
coast. Occupies all zones of mangrove communities 
on a variety of substrates. Timber used for clubs and 
fire wood (Specht, 1958). 
OLACACEAE 
Trees, shrubs or vines; mostly hemiparasitic on roots. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate. 
Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic. Inflorescences axillary, various. Calyx reduced to a rim or lobed. 
Corolla of 3-4(6) petals, free, valvate. Stamens 3-8, free or epipetalous, anthers basifixed; 
staminodes 0 or 6. Ovary superior, 1-4-locular; ovules 1 per locule; style simple; stigma globular. 
Fruit a 1-seeded drupe. 
A family of 25 genera and c. 250 species in tropical and temperate regions; 3 genera in Australia with 2 in 
the NT and the DR. [George, 1984] 
1. Woody unarmed vine; leaves >100 mm long .......sescecsssessesessecseseesseseseeneseeseeneseeneesneeenens rei Olax 
1. Shrub or small tree, sometimes spinescent; leaves <60 mm JONG .........:.ssseseeeseeeeeteeeteteteees Ximenia 
OLAX L. 
A genus of c. 60 species from tropical Africa to Malesia and Australia; 4 species in the NT with 1 in the DR. 
O. imbricata Roxb. 
Woody evergreen vine, + glabrous but sometimes 
with minute tomentum of simple hairs on petiole 
and stems. Petioles 5-7 mm long. Leaf blades 
coriaceous, lanceolate or ovate to elliptic, 120- 
200 mm long, 50-103 mm wide, L/B 1.9-2.4. 
Inflorescence a racemose panicle to 30 mm long; 
bracts c. 1 mm long, in 2 imbricate rows when 
young. Calyx cupular, entire, minutely ciliate. 
Petals 3, white, linear-oblong, 7.5-9 mm long, thick, 
minutely tomentose at apex. Stamens 3; staminodes 
6, bifid, longer than stamens, filaments adnate to 
lower part of petal. Ovary 1-locular; style subequal 
to petals. Fruit thinly fleshy to leathery, orange, 
globular, c. 22 mm diam., almost completely 
covered by the coriaceous, expanded calyx. 
Flowering: Sept; fruiting: Nov. Fig. 60 
India through Malesia to the NT: In the DR known 
from scattered localities in coastal and subcoastal 
rainforests. 
XIMENIA L. 
A genus of 10-15 species in tropical regions; | species in Australia. 
