''Rhizophora'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of tropical

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 ...

trees, sometimes collectively called true mangroves. The most notable species is the red mangrove ('' Rhizophora mangle'') but some other species and a few natural hybrids are known. ''Rhizophora'' species generally live in

intertidal zone The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...

s which are inundated daily by the ocean. They exhibit a number of adaptations to this environment, including pneumatophores that elevate the plants above the water and allow them to respire oxygen even while their lower roots are submerged and a cytological molecular "pump" mechanism that allows them to remove excess salts from their cells. The generic name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

words ῥίζα (''rhiza''), meaning "root," and φορός (''phoros''), meaning "bearing," referring to the stilt-roots. The beetle '' Poecilips fallax'' is a common pest of these trees, especially ''

Rhizophora mucronata ''Rhizophora mucronata'' (loop-root mangrove, red mangrove or Asiatic mangrove) is a species of mangrove found on coasts and river banks in East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. Description ''Rhizophora mucronata'' is a small to medium si ...

'' and '' Rhizophora apiculata''. This beetle (related to carver beetles) lays its eggs in the

hypocotyl The hypocotyl (short for "hypocotyledonous stem", meaning "below seed leaf") is the stem of a germinating seedling, found below the cotyledons (seed leaves) and above the radicle (root). Eudicots As the plant embryo grows at germination, it send ...

s. When they hatch, the larvae dig tunnels through the

, distorting its shape, When the beetle pupates it leaves the plant, but the

will no longer be able to develop normally. The red mangrove is the state tree of

Delta Amacuro Delta Amacuro State (, ) is one of the 23 States of Venezuela, states of Venezuela, and is the location of the Orinoco Delta. The Paria Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean are found to the north, Bolívar State (Venezuela), Bolívar State is found to th ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

; a dark brown dye can be produced from it, which is used in

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

n ngatu cloth production.

Species

Hybrids

* '' Rhizophora × annamalayana'' Kathiresan (''R. apiculata × R. mucronata'') * '' Rhizophora × lamarckii'' Montrouz. (''R. apiculata × R. stylosa'') * '' Rhizophora × selala'' (Salvoza) P.B.Tomlinson (''R. mangle × R. stylosa'')

Formerly placed here

* ''

Aegiceras corniculatum ''Aegiceras corniculatum'', commonly known as black mangrove, river mangrove, goat's horn mangrove, or khalsi, is a species of shrub or tree mangrove in the primrose family (biology), family, Primulaceae, with a distribution in coastal and estua ...

'' (L.) Blanco (as ''R. corniculata'' L.) * '' Bruguiera gymnorhiza'' (L.) Savigny (as ''R. gymnorhiza'' L.) * '' Bruguiera parviflora'' (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. ex Griff. (as ''R. parviflora'' Roxb.) * '' Bruguiera sexangula'' (Lour.) Poir. (as ''R. sexangula'' Lour.) * '' Ceriops tagal'' (Perr.) C.B.Rob. (as ''R. tagal'' Perr.)

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Malpighiales genera Mangroves

Species

Hybrids

Formerly placed here

See also

References

External links