''Rhizophora'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of tropical

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in several ...

trees, sometimes collectively called true mangroves. The most notable species is the red mangrove (''

Rhizophora mangle ''Rhizophora mangle'', the red mangrove, is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its viviparous "seeds", in actuality called propagules, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree. These are dispersed b ...

'') but some other species and a few natural

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

s are known. ''Rhizophora'' species generally live in

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...

s which are inundated daily by the ocean. They exhibit a number of adaptations to this environment, including pneutomatophores that elevate the plants above the water and allow them to respire oxygen even while their lower roots are submerged and a

cytological Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living a ...

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: Greece 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 ...

words ριζα (''rhiza''), meaning "root," and φορος (''phoros''), meaning "bearing," referring to the stilt-roots. The beetle ''

Poecilips fallax ''Poecilips fallax'' is small beetle of the subfamily Scolytinae. The beetle, related to carver beetles, is a pest to mangrove trees especially ''Rhizophora mucronata'' and ''Rhizophora apiculata''. The adults oviposit or insert their eggs into ...

'' is a common

pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

of these trees, especially '' Rhizophora mucronata'' and '' Rhizophora apiculata''. This beetle (related to carver beetles) lays its eggs in the hypocotyls. When they hatch, the larvae dig tunnels through 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 sen ...

, 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 ( es, Estado Delta Amacuro, ) is one of the 23 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 is found to the south, the Atlanti ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

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

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

n ngatu cloth production.

Species

Hybrids

* '' Rhizophora × annamalayana'' Kathiresan (''R. apiculata × R. mucronata'') * ''

Rhizophora × lamarckii ''Rhizophora'' × ''lamarckii'' is a hybrid of '' Rhizophora apiculata'' and '' Rhizophora stylosa''. Found in the Indo-West Pacific region within the Indomalaya biome in the Sunda Shelf mangroves The Sunda Shelf mangroves ecoregion, in t ...

'' Montrouz. (''R. apiculata × R. stylosa'') * ''

Rhizophora × selala ''Rhizophora'' is a genus of tropical mangrove 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'' ...

'' (Salvoza) P.B.Tomlinson (''R. mangle × R. stylosa'')

Formerly placed here

* '' Aegiceras corniculatum'' (L.) Blanco (as ''R. corniculata'' L.) * ''

Bruguiera gymnorhiza ''Bruguiera gymnorhiza'', the large-leafed orange mangrove or oriental mangrove,) is a mangrove tree that grows usually to 7-20m high, but sometimes up to 35m, that belongs to the family Rhizophoraceae. It is found on the seaward side of mangr ...

'' (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

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q131521 Malpighiales genera Mangroves

Species

Hybrids

Formerly placed here

See also

References

External links