Photos
Information
Sonneratia alba Smith.
Common name: Mangrove apple
Scientific name: Sonneratia alba Smith.
Familia: Sonneratiaceae (Lythraceae)
Uses:
The wood is used in the construction of house and boat.
The shoot-like roots are used to make corks and floats.
Traditional medicine: Used to treat swelling and sprains.
Morphology
Large tree up to 15 m tall, DBH: 1m. Bark dark brown, vertical fissures. Pneumatophores cone-shaped (shoot-shaped).
Leaves simple, opposite, ovate, with rounded tips.
Flowering grow in clusters, 5-8 white flowers and usually blooms at night. Calyx 6-7; petals 6-7; numerous white stamens; ovary 14-16 cells.
Fruit: Berry 3.5 cm in diam., wheel-shaped, with a persistent calyx at the base and more than 100 small seeds.
Flowering & Fruit: April-November.
Ecology
Grows in semi-tidal areas, suitable for high salinity, where there is a mixture of mud and sand. It is a pioneer tree species, often dominant (forming a population) and grow fast.
True mangrove species.
Distribution & Conservation Status
Distribution - in northern of Khanh Hoa province:
Distributed in Nha Phu lagoon, Môn lagoon and Hòn Lớn island.
Conservation status:
This species is often cut down, its distribution range is gradually narrowing. Needs to be protected and replanted.
