Rhizophora mangle

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iRhizophora mangle
R. mangle branch with germinating seed, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Rhizophoraceae Genus: Rhizophora Species: R. mangle
Binomial name
Rhizophora mangle L.

Rhizophora mangle, known as the red mangrove, is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its viviparous seeds, which are dispersed by water, sprout while they are still on the parent plant, growing a tough green root that makes them unmistakable.

R. mangle grows on prop roots, which arch above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic "mangrove" appearance. It is considered an invasive species in some locations, such as Hawaii, where it outcompetes native vegetation and forms dense, monospecific thickets. R. mangle thickets, however, are known to provide nesting and hunting habitat for a diverse array of organism, including fish, birds, and crocodiles. Black mangroves grow directly inland of red mangroves

[edit] External links

• Rhizophora mangle images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu