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Know your Mangroves
Bruguiera cyllindrica,
a true mangrove species, found in entire Southeast
Asia and Australia. It is a representative of family Rhizophoraceae.
Bruguiera cyllindrica
is an evergreen woody tree with haphazardly arranged branches. It grows up
to 20 – 25 meters in height with buttresses and kneed pneumatophores. It
usually grows on stiff clay behind
Avicennia at the sea-face but can also
grow on newly formed soils unsuitable to other mangroves, leaving better
soils to the other species. Its bark is smooth and grey to dark black in
colour with light green simple and opposite leaves. The leaves are
somewhat elliptical in shape. A three – flowered peduncle is present at
each leaf angle. The greenish yellow coloured flower has 8 petals. The
seeds of this plant germinate in slightly lobed berry type fruit. The
slightly curved hypocotyls grow up to 15 cm long and look like a green or
purplish cigarette.
It is used as firewood and timber. Young radicles may be eaten as a
vegetable or preserve after boiling. Bark produces a peculiar odour which
frightens away fish. The tannin content is 18% – used for tanning
fishermen’s nets and in leather industries.
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