Rhizophoraceae

Disclaimer

Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006, without modification. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Rhizophoraceae Persoon

Common name: Red-mangrove Family.

Number of genera: 15 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 130 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced) (including seedlings), or fruit (intact or entire), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) simple, or compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium, or anthocarp; simple; berry (Spjut: Rhizophora "leathery", R. mangle L., "fruit…continues to grow …no pause…between maturation of the seed and…germination"; Gynotroches axillaris Blume, "berry…pulpy".), or capsule; septicidal capsule; capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; berry indehiscent; berry without central placental mass; simple; diclesium; without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s); within perianth, or sepals; accrescent; persistent; 1-seeded (to few); 1-seeded (to few); with 2–5(–6)-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; indehiscent, or dehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp brown (all shades); dull; durable; without armature; without wing(s), or with wing(s); 3–4-winged (capsule); with wing(s) lateral; without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Aril absent, or present (Cassipourea, Crossostylis, Weihea); a true aril. Seed larger than minute; less than 1 mm long to 10 to less than 25 mm long; 1.5–20 mm long; ovate; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface tuberculate; surface reticulate; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other, or without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings, or with wing(s) (Macarisia); without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or black, or green; coriaceous, or membranous, or thick; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development nuclear; copious; fleshy; smooth; with starch; with oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; completely filling testa (no food reserve), or partially filling testa (with food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; linear; straight, or bent, or C-shaped; embedded in endosperm; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; green, or not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2, or 3, or 4; tiny; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1–8 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; flat; smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate, or connate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed; straight; not thickened.

Distribution

General distribution: Pantropical and pansubtropical. New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: North America, Middle America, South America, Africa, Asia Southeastern, Australia, and Oceania.
 

Notes

Mangrove spp. are viviparous.

References

General references: Baillon, H.E. 1866–95. Histoire des plantes, 13 vols. Hachette & Co., Paris, Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Engler, A. & K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) & 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) & 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. & J.V. Dennis. 1976. World guide to tropical drift seeds and fruits, 240 pp. The New York Times Book Co., New York, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, & J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 & amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, and Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper & Row, New York.