|
Sonneratia caseolaris (L.)
Engler
Small evergree tree, upto 8.0 m high,
deliquescent branching, woody, erect, branches horizontal, twig slender.
Pale brown brak, smooth or furrows at
maturity
Much spreading hrozontal roots, pneumatophors,
tapering towards the ends, with spony outer surface and secondary grwoth
Leaves simple, opposite decussate,
cauline, short pedicillate
Petiole 0.5 cm - 1.0 cm long, flat, glabrous,
pale-green or reddish, pulvinous.
Lamina 8.0 cm - 12.0 cm in length and
4.0 cm - 5.0 cm in broad, ovate-elliptic, entire, unicostate reticulate
venation
Apex becomes acute at young stage but
occassionally degenerate at maturity.
Inflorescence cyme solitary or few flowered
on the outer pendulous twig
Flowers ebracteate, pedicellate
Pedicel 4.0 - 6.0 cm long showing differentiation
of nodes and inter-nodes, jointed, square, pale green
Flower complete, bisexual, regular
Calyx tube green with 6 valvate lobes,
linear, entire, oblong elliptic, acute, truncate, inferior, valvate green,
persistent in fruit
Petals 6, polypetalous, inferior vestigeal
in nature, valvate, linear, entire, acuminate, purple to violet red, exerted
but not showy, glabrous, herbaceous deciduous, alternated with calyx teeth
Stamens numerous, free, showy, fertile,
filament 4.0 cm long, soft, pendulous, white above and reddish below
Carpels 6, syncarpous, superior, ovary
cup shaped, green. globose, shinning, flattened, round, locules 20, each
with numerous ovules
Placentation axile, style 1, terminal,
generally twice the length of stamens, glabrous, terete. soft, persistent
in fruit, after maturity it becomes hard and green
Fruit a berry, green, stalked, flattened,
globose, persistent substending calyx, 5.0 - 8.0 cm in diam.
Seeds numerous
Germination epigeal
|