Rhizophora mangle

Rhizophora mangle, also known as the red mangrove, is a <a href="/facts/Halophyte/4XXvx3UX">salt-tolerant</a>, small-to-medium sized <a href="/facts/Evergreen/bcLptUdV">evergreen</a> tree restricted to coastal, <a href="/facts/Estuary/WmkSInmK">estuarine</a> ecosystems along the southern portions of North America, the Caribbean as well as Central America and tropical West Africa. Its <a href="/facts/Vivipary/7UAXkuaY">viviparous</a> "seeds", in actuality called <a href="/facts/Propagule/HHtASl2P">propagules</a>, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree. These are dispersed by water until eventually embedding in the shallows.
Rhizophora mangle grows on <a href="/facts/Aerial_root/S0kvfMvo">aerial prop roots</a>, which arch above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic "<a href="/facts/Mangrove/JreUUsuG">mangrove</a>" appearance. It is a valuable plant in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas coastal ecosystems. The name refers to the red colour on the inner part of its roots when halved, so it does not display any red colour in its regular appearance. In its native habitat it is threatened by invasive species such as the <a href="/facts/Brazilian_pepper/tooJCxXk">Brazilian pepper</a> tree (Schinus terebinthifolius). The red mangrove itself is considered an <a href="/facts/Invasive_species/Ya1v6RGx">invasive species</a> in some locations, such as <a href="/facts/Hawaii/ImxFefeK">Hawaii</a>, where it forms dense, <a href="/facts/Monoculture/SVsR3W9F">monospecific</a> thickets. R. mangle thickets, however, provide nesting and hunting habitat for a diverse array of organisms, including fish, birds, and crocodiles.

Rhizophora mangle open-in-new

Rhizophora mangle