''Rhizophora racemosa'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of mangrove tree in the family

Rhizophoraceae The Rhizophoraceae is a family of tropical or subtropical flowering plants. It includes around 147 species distributed in 15 genera.Setoguchi, H., Kosuge, K., & Tobe, H. (1999). Molecular Phylogeny of Rhizophoraceae Based on rbcL Gene Sequences. ...

. It has a patchy distribution on the Pacific coast of Central and South America, occurs in places on the Atlantic coast of that continent, and has a more widespread range on the Atlantic coast of West Africa.

Description

Members of the genus ''

Rhizophora ''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'' sp ...

'' are very similar to each other in morphology. They grow up to tall often with aerial stilt roots, but in more marginal habitats are shorter, more branched and scrubby. The leaves grow in opposite pairs, each pair with two interlocking stipules. The leaves are simple and entire, with elliptical hairless blades and slightly down-rolled margins. The lower surfaces have numerous tiny corky warts which appear as black spots on dried leaves. At one time considered to be a subspecies of ''

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

'', ''R. racemosa'' is now accepted as a full species, most easily distinguished by the fact that the stem of the axillary flowers branches up to six times, making a maximum cluster size of 128. However, the inflorescences more usually contain 32 to 64 flowers. Other distinguishing characteristics include thick, short rounded bracteoles and rounded flower buds.

Ecology

In West Africa, estuaries, bays and lagoons are fringed by tidal mangrove forests, dominated by ''

'' and ''

Avicennia ''Avicennia'' is a genus of flowering plants currently placed in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. It contains mangrove trees, which occur in the intertidal zones of estuarine areas and are characterized by its "pencil roots", which are a ...

''. When new mudflats are formed,

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the orde ...

es are the first plants that grow on the mud, with ''Rhizophora racemosa'', a pioneering species, being the first mangrove to appear. With time, the mud solidifies and more tree and plant species arrive. On the seaward side the trees are short but get steadily taller further inland. The

nipa palm ''Nypa fruticans'', commonly known as the nipa palm (or simply nipa, from ms, nipah) or mangrove palm, is a species of palm native to the coastlines and estuarine habitats of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the only palm considered adapte ...

''(Nypa fruticans)'' has been introduced to Nigeria and Cameroon and has become invasive, to the detriment of the native mangrove species. Some insect pollination takes place, but ''R. racemosa'' is largely wind-pollinated. The fruit produce

propagule In biology, a propagule is any material that functions in propagating an organism to the next stage in its life cycle, such as by dispersal. The propagule is usually distinct in form from the parent organism. Propagules are produced by organisms ...

s which may fall into the water and be dispersed by wind and currents.

Uses

In West Africa, ''Rhizophora racemosa'' is used for construction poles and firewood on a limited scale. The smoke has antimicrobial properties and is also used for smoking meat. In the Americas it is less likely to be harvested as it is more scarce and is not considered to be of much value. Extracts from the bark of ''Rhizophora racemosa'' has been proven for its potential as an indicator in titration.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9068807 racemosa