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Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Roxb.
Common name: Spurred mangrove, Rib-fruited yellow mangrove
Scientific name: Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Roxb.
Familia: Rhizophoraceae
Uses:
The durable wood used for civil carpentry, interior decoration, and charcoal. The bark has a lot of tannin used as a dye.
Traditional medicine: Decoction from leaf buds is used to treat malaria.
Morphology
Small tree or shrub up to 6-8 m tall, DBH: 20cn, with a brown - grey bark. The tree often has small stilt roots.
Simple leaves, opposite, obovate with entire margins, stipule flattened knife-like.
Inflorescence: cyme with 5-10 small flowers.
The flower has 5 white petals and soon turn brown, with 3 fibrous lobes at the tip of the petal, calyx: 5 lobes, stamen: 10.
The ovoid fruits are up to 1.5 cm long, suspended from the calyx tube. The hypocotyl is long and slender, up to 20 cm, ribbed.
Flowering & Fruit: March-August.
Ecology
The tree grows slowly, regenerating mainly by propagules. Suitable on alluvial soils and tidal mud flats at river mouths.
True mangrove species.
Distribution & Conservation Status
Distribution - in northern of Khanh Hoa province:
Narrow distribution range along the edge of Nha Phu lagoon and in Hòn Lớn (Van Ninh).
Conservation status:
The species will be at risk due to shrinking habitat and needs conservation planting.
