Avicennia officinalis
Avicennia officinalis
Avicennia officinalis is a mangrove species in the genus Avicennia. Their range extends from the coasts of South Asia to Australia.
Description
Avicennia officinalis is an evergreen mangrove tree reaching a height of 25 meters and a trunk diameter of 1 meter. From trunk to go long, horizontally extending roots, of which branch a large number of upright breathing roots. The bark of young trees is thin and brown -gray, with older trees raw and black gray. The thick and leathery leaves are 4-12 inches long and 2-6 inches wide. The leaf shape is ovate to broadly elliptic and obovate with rounded apex and pointed or rounded base. The leaf margins are rolled down a bit. The upper leaf surface is bright green and glabrous, the lower surface is finely hairy gray-green. The flowers are in upright köpchenförmigen, about 15 centimeters large panicles of up to 12 individual flowers at the ends of the branches. The individual flowers are similar in shape to those of the Black Mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ). They are 7-10 mm long and 12 to 15 millimeters wide and thus the largest flowers of the eastern Avicennia species. The flowers are sessile and malodorous. The calyx is five-lobed and hairy at the edges. The corolla is slightly zygomorphic, bell-shaped and vierlappig, the inside is bare. She is initially yellow to yellowish brown, later orange. The flower four 3 to 4 millimeters long stamens are formed. The ovary is conical, hairy and vierfächrig. The style is filiform, forked the scar. When fruits are about 2.5 centimeters long, wide formed ovoid, flattened capsules. Each fruit contains a large, flattened seeds without seed coat.
Distribution and ecology
The range of the species extends along the coasts of South India over Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia to the Philippines, New Guinea and eastern Australia. In New Guinea they are found at altitudes of 50 meters. They usually grow on brackish mud coasts and marshes in humid, tropical and subtropical areas with rainfall amounts of 10 to 45 millimeters and average temperatures of 20 to 26 ° C.
Systematics and history of research
Avicennia officinalis is a species in the genus Avicennia. The type is the specific type of the genus Avicennia, but the name was often used for other Avicennia species, Avicennia marina, for example, Avicennia officinalis, and has been described as Avicennia tomentosa. Linnaeus has described in the first edition of Species Plantarum two species Avicennia officinalis Asian Art and the American way Avicennia germinans. Later he falsely summarized as Avicennia officinalis both types.
Use
The wood is used for the manufacture of boats, cabins and berths, but also for furniture. The root and bark may be used for dyeing.