Bruguiera sexangula
Encyclopedia
Bruguiera sexangula, commonly called the Upriver Orange Mangrove, is a mangrove shrub or tree usually growing up to 15 m, occasionally 30 m, in height.
s. The bark
is a smooth grey-brown colour. The smooth, glossy green leaves
are simple and opposite, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 9.5–20 cm long, 3–7 cm wide, with a pointed apex and a 6 cm petiole, occurring in clusters at the end of the branches.
The flowers have a pale yellow-green to pinkish-orange calyx
with 12–14 lobes, 20–24 stamen
s and 10–12 creamy-orange, bi-lobed petals. The green, cigar-shaped viviparous
propagule
grows from within the calyx and is 5–12 cm long and 1–2 cm wide.
eastwards along the tropical coasts of Southeast Asia
to northern Australia
and New Caledonia
. It is found on various substrates usually in the upper reaches of river-mouth estuaries with high rainfall and significant freshwater inflow.
and burns. The timber is heavy, hard and strong and is used as poles as well as for firewood
and charcoal
.
Description
The mangrove may grow as a single-stemmed tree or multi-stemmed shrub. It has short buttresses at the base of the trunk, and knee-like air-breathing roots, or pneumatophoreAerial root
Aerial roots are roots above the ground. They are almost always adventitious. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids, tropical coastal swamp trees such as mangroves, the resourceful banyan trees, the warm-temperate rainforest rātā and pōhutukawa Aerial roots...
s. The bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
is a smooth grey-brown colour. The smooth, glossy green leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are simple and opposite, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 9.5–20 cm long, 3–7 cm wide, with a pointed apex and a 6 cm petiole, occurring in clusters at the end of the branches.
The flowers have a pale yellow-green to pinkish-orange calyx
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
with 12–14 lobes, 20–24 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and 10–12 creamy-orange, bi-lobed petals. The green, cigar-shaped viviparous
Vivipary
Vivipary has two different meanings. In animals, it means development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, eventually leading to live birth, as opposed to laying eggs...
propagule
Propagule
In horticulture, a propagule is any plant material used for the purpose of plant propagation. In asexual reproduction, a propagule may be a woody, semi-hardwood, or softwood cutting, leaf section, or any number of other plant parts. In sexual reproduction, a propagule is a seed or spore...
grows from within the calyx and is 5–12 cm long and 1–2 cm wide.
Distribution and habitat
The mangrove is distributed from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
eastwards along the tropical coasts of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
to northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. It is found on various substrates usually in the upper reaches of river-mouth estuaries with high rainfall and significant freshwater inflow.
Ecology
The large flowers of the mangrove are bird-pollinated. The petals are under tension and hold loose pollen; when the flower is probed, the pollen is released explosively over the head of the visiting bird.Uses
The mangrove has various traditional uses in Asia. The developing embryos and the fruits are cooked and eaten after soaking. Juice from the fruits is used to treat sore eyes, shinglesHerpes zoster
Herpes zoster , commonly known as shingles and also known as zona, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe...
and burns. The timber is heavy, hard and strong and is used as poles as well as for firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
and charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.