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Avicennia officinalis L
True mangrove species Medium tree, upto 20 m high with smooth bark. Branches both spreading and erect. Pencil like pneumatophores occasionally stilt roots present Aerial roots with thick corky aerenchyma cells and numerous lenticels present on the cortex. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic, oblong or obovate oblong, very obtuse or rounded apically, glabrous, smooth and shining above, never glaucous whitish beneath, 10 - 14 cm long and 4 - 6 cm broad. Flowers zygomorphic, sessile in compact heads. 6 - 8 mm in diam., corolla orange yellow, glabrous within, tetramerous. Capsule contain 4 seeds Seeds flattened with thin testa. Seed germination epigeal or modified epigeal, crypto-viviparous or incipient viviparous. Economic Importance : Produce fire
wood, timber and bark tannin
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