Lumnitzera racemosa

Quick Facts

common name : Beriya,Tipparuthin, Black Mangrove

Scientific Name : Lumnitzera racemosa

Kingdom : Plantae}

Clade : Tracheophytes Angiosperms Eudicots Rosids

Order : Myrtales

Family : Combretaceae

Genus : Lumnitzera

Species : L. racemosa

Conservation Status : 6

Type of Mangrove : True mangrove

Type of Roots : Pneumatophores occasionally developed as looping lateral roots

General Characters

evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 8 metres tall. The bole can be up to 30cm in diameter.Much branched tree

Other Characters

preferring sandy or hard mud areas.

Features of Flower

Flowers are up to 1 cm length, exhibiting 5 small white petals. Fruit is fleshy and flattened while on the tree, but fibrous after floating in water

Features of Fruits

The fruits are buoyant, single-seeded green capsules which look similar to those of the native white mangrove

Leaf Arrangment

Small up to 4cm length, 2cm width. The shape is obovate (broadest above the middle of the leaf), the apex is rounded or emarginated (the indent in the tip of the leaf). Petiole is often absent (leaves are thus often sessile). An obvious characteristic is the serrated edge of the leaf.

Distribution

Occur in most of the mangals in Sri Lanka

Range

Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, northern Australia, and on various western Pacific islands (Shu, 2007). Lumnitzera littorea is distributed in tropical Asia and Australia.

Type of Roots

Pneumatophores occasionally developed as looping lateral roots

IUCN Red List Status