Quick Facts
common name :
Maha kadol, kandal, kadol,Red mangrove
Scientific Name :
Rhizophora mucronata
Kingdom :
Plantae}
Clade :
Tracheophytes Angiosperms Eudicots Rosids
Order :
Malpighiales
Family :
Rhizophoraceae
Genus :
Rhizophora
Species :
R. mucronata
Conservation Status :
3
Type of Mangrove :
True mangrove
Type of Roots :
distinctive aerial roots or what is also referred to as knee-roots (breathing roots)
General Characters
A small to medium-sized tree, 2–5 m, even up to 10 m tall, with strong apical dominance. Stem up to 400 mm in diameter, straight.
Other Characters
Rough reddish, brown to almost black bark and extending, bristled, light grey branches.
Features of Flower
Creamy white flowers, few arranged in axillary heads, leathery with short thick stalks; calyx persistent
Features of Fruits
The fruit is single seeded, up to 70 mm long, which germinates while still on the tree (viviparous). It is said that its seeds do not last long in storage.
Leaf Arrangment
Leaves compact, simple, oppositely arranged, broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, leathery, hairless, glossy, dark green to yellowish green, crowded towards the end of branches; margins smooth with pointed apex and distinctive hair-like tip of up to 5 mm long; tapering at both ends; main vein prominent and with distinguishing black dots underneath the leaves.
Distribution
Common species found in most of the mangals
Range
south-east Asia, Africa, South Pacific, Australia
Type of Roots
distinctive aerial roots or what is also referred to as knee-roots (breathing roots)
IUCN Red List Status
