WHITE MANGROVE

The white mangrove is usually found further inland of the red and black mangroves and is the most cold-sensitive of the mangroves. The white mangrove features a pair of nodular, salt-excreting glands found near the tip of each leaf stalk and a series of blackish glands between the middle vein. The seeds or fruit of the white mangrove are round and the flowers are white. One of the distinguishing characteristics are the rounded leaves that feature a notched tip. Unlike both red & black mangroves, white mangroves lack specialized aerial roots, though under certain conditions may produce a few "peg roots" similar to those of the black mangrove. Flowering is in spring and early summer. Because of the lack of breathing tubes or aerial roots, the white mangrove is difficult to grow in the marine aquarium. Some have had success with simply floating collected seed pods, but the plant normally dies as its roots can not be submersed long term. It is best suited for biotopes that allow for the root system to be partially above the water line.

Scientific Name: Laguncularia Racemosa

Common Name: White Mangrove

Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Caribbean

Depth Collected: low tide zone

Maximum Height : 60'

Growth Rate: Slow

Light: High

Temperature: 65-100

Propagation: Rhizomes, Seeds

Difficulty: Advanced

Food Value: None

Nutrient Uptake: Fair once established

Flow Rate: Low

Copyright © 2010 GCE All rights reserved. No part of this online publication may be reproduced in any form by any means without the expressed permission of the author. All images are the property of Gulf Coast Ecosystems unless otherwise noted and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.