Mangrove

Mangrove, common name applied to a number of flowering plants that are members of several different families. Mangroves are trees or shrubs that have the common trait of growing in shallow and muddy salt or brackish water, especially along quiet shorelines and in estuaries in tropical regions where they rapidly form mangrove swamps. Typically they produce tangled masses of arching roots that are exposed during low tides. Some mangrove roots (aerial roots) extend above the water. These specialized vertical roots are called pneumatophores, or breathing roots, and act as aerating organs. The most common and most economically important species, the red mangrove, is so named because of its reddish wood. It has been exploited as a source of charcoal and of tannins, which are used in preparing leather. Its seeds are unusual in that they germinate while still on the tree, sprouting seedlings that grow up to 30 cm (12 in) long. The seedlings are cigar-shaped and heavier at the root end than at the leafy end. On falling, they tend to plant themselves in the mud below the parent tree.

Scientific classification: The most important mangrove families are the Combretaceae, the Verbenaceae, and the Rhizophoraceae. The red mangrove belongs to the family Rhizophoraceae and is classified as Rhizophora mangle.