Rhizophora mangle 4372188 213649831 2008-05-20T06:46:58Z 71.210.50.23 {{Taxobox | name = ''Rhizophora mangle'' | image = Rhizophora-mangle.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''R. mangle'' branch with germinating seed, in [[Guanacaste]], [[Costa Rica]]. | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | ordo = [[Malpighiales]] | familia = [[Rhizophoraceae]] | genus = ''[[Rhizophora]]'' | species = '''''R. mangle''''' | binomial = ''Rhizophora mangle'' | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] }} [[Image:Red mangrove-everglades natl park.jpg|left|thumb|A free-standing red mangrove tree growing in shallow water in the backcountry of the [[Cape Sable]] area of [[Everglades National Park]].]] [[Image:Red mangrove forest, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.jpg|left|thumb|A red mangrove forest in [[Fajardo]], [[Puerto Rico]]]] '''''Rhizophora mangle''''', known as the '''red mangrove''', is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its [[viviparous]] seeds, which are dispersed by water, sprout while they are still on the parent plant, growing a tough green root that makes them unmistakable. ''R. mangle'' grows on prop roots, which arch above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic "[[mangrove]]" appearance. It is a valuable plant in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas costal ecosystems. In its native habitat it is threatened by invasive species such as the [[Brazilian Pepper|Brazilian Pepper Tree]]. The Red Mangrove itself is considered an [[invasive species]] in some locations, such as [[Hawaii]], where it outcompetes native vegetation and forms dense, [[monospecific]] thickets. ''R. mangle'' thickets, however, are known to provide nesting and hunting habitat for a diverse array of organisms, including [[fish]], [[bird]]s, and [[crocodile]]s. ==Habitat== Red Mangroves are found in [[subtropical]] and [[tropical]] areas in both [[hemispheres]], extending to approximately 28°. They thrive on coastlines in [[brackish]] water and in swampy salt marshes. Because they are well adapted to salt water, they thrive where many other plants fail and create their own ecosystems, the [[mangal]]s. Red mangroves are often found near white mangroves ([[Laguncularia racemosa]]), black mangroves ([[Avicennia germinans]]), and buttonwood ([[Conocarpus erectus]]). Though these plants are only distantly related, they serve a similar [[ecological|ecology]] purpose. Red Mangroves are usually the dominant species. Through stabilisation of their surroundings, mangroves create a community for other plants and animals (such as the [[mangrove crab]]) to survive. Though rooted in soil, mangrove roots are often submerged in water for several hours or on a permanent basis. The roots are usually sunk in a [[sand]] or [[clay]] base which allows for some protection from the waves. ==Description== Red Mangroves are easily distinguishable through their unique [[prop root]] system and [[viviparous]] [[seed]]s. The prop roots of a red mangrove suspend it over the water, thereby giving it extra support and protection. They also help the tree to combat [[anaemia]] by allowing it a direct intake of oxygen through its [[root]] structure. [[Image:Mangroves.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Root structure above and below water.]] A mangrove can reach up to 80 feet in height in ideal conditions, however it is commonly found at a more modest 20 feet. Its bark is thick and a grey-brown color. Mangrove leaves are 1”-2” long and 3”-5” wide, with smooth [[margin]]s and an [[elliptical|ellipse]] shape. They are a darker shade of [[green]] on the tops then on the bottoms. The tree produces pale yellow flowers in the spring. ==Reproduction== As a viviparous plant, the mangrove creates a fruit that is in reality a living tree. Through resembling an elongated [[seedpod]], the fruit on the mangrove is capable of rooting at any time and producing a new tree. The trees are [[hermaphrodite]]s, capable of [[self-pollinating]] or [[wind-pollinating]]. The tree undergoes no dormant stage as a seed, but rather progresses to a live plant before leaving its parent tree. A mangrove sapling may float in brackish water for over a year before rooting. It has been proposed that the life cycle of the red mangrove is in some unknown way linked to [[hurricane]] cycles, though this has never been proven. ==See also== * [[Mangrove]] * [[Salt marsh]] * [[Wetland]] ==External links== {{commons|Rhizophora mangle}} *[http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/rhma2.htm ''Rhizophora mangle'' images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] *http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/2635.html More detailed information on the Red Mangrove. [[Category:Rhizophora]] [[Category:Mangroves]] [[de:Rote Mangrove]] [[es:Manglar]] [[ru:Красное мангровое дерево]] [[to:tongolei]]