''Pelliciera rhizophorae'', known as the tea mangrove, is a less-common species of

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

s found along the Pacific coast from the

Gulf of Nicoya The Gulf of Nicoya () is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. It separates the Nicoya Peninsula from the mainland of Costa Rica, and encompasses a marine and coastal landscape of wetlands, rocky islands and cliffs. The first Spanish landing in Nicaragua ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

to the

Esmeraldas River The Esmeraldas River is a river in northwestern Ecuador that flows into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Esmeraldas. Among its tributaries is the Guayllabamba River which drains Quito. Charles Marie de la Condamine sailed up it and then climb ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

, as well as within stands located in Nicaragua, Panama, and Colombia. During eras such as the

Cenozoic The Cenozoic Era ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterized by the dominance of mammals, insects, birds and angiosperms (flowering plants). It is the latest of three g ...

, the species was prevalent. The mangrove hummingbirds of Costa Rica live off the relatively large quantity of nectar produced by its prolific blooms. ''Pelliciera rhizophorae'' is the only species in the genus ''Pelliciera'' which was previously recognized as the only genus in the family Pellicieraceae, but is now included in the family

Tetrameristaceae Tetrameristaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family consists of three species, of trees or shrubs, in three genera: * '' Pelliciera'' in Central and South America * '' Pentamerista'' in the Guyanas * '' Tetramerista'' in Southeast Asia ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2321967 Ericales Mangroves Flora of Central America Flora of Southern America Monotypic Ericales genera Tropical Eastern Pacific flora