BUTTON MANGROVE: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, PROPERTIES - BIOLOGY - 2025

The button mangrove (Conocarpus erectus) is a common member of the mangrove association in the tropics and subtropics of the western hemisphere. It is a perennial tree-growing plant that belongs to the Combretaceae family, and is one of the two members of the Conocarpus genus.

The distribution of this species extends from the islands of the Caribbean, including Bermuda and the Bahamas, through the state of Florida and northeast Mexico. While to the south it lives on the Atlantic coasts, on the Pacific coasts extending from the north of Mexico to the northwest of Peru, including the Galapagos Islands.

Conocarpus erectus. Franz Xaver

Conocarpus erectus has an arboreal growth, measuring a length of 8 to 10 meters, and in some cases it can measure up to 20 meters in height. It is highly branched and has evergreen leaves that are arranged alternately with very short petioles.

The button mangrove produces a very hard wood, which is used for the manufacture of boats, barges, and maritime constructions. Also, within traditional medicine, this plant has been reported to have astringent properties, against diarrhea, against anemia and against conjunctivitis.

characteristics

Tree

Conocarpus erectus is a dioecious perennial tree growing plant that measures 8 to 10 meters tall. However, individuals measuring up to 20 meters in length have been found.

It is a kind of highly branched mangrove, producing a crown with a width of 6 to 9 meters. The bark of the stem and branches is whitish-gray in color and the stem can measure 1 meter in diameter.

Leaves

The leaves of the button mangrove are lanceolate or elliptical, 3 to 8 cm long by 1 to 3 cm wide. In turn, they are green with a very prominent yellow midrib. Both ends are pointed, with a pointed apex and two glands at the base. Each leaf hangs from a very short petiole 3 to 10 mm long.

Button mangrove. Louise Wolff (darina)

Inflorescence

The inflorescence is organized in axillary and sometimes terminal panicles. Each inflorescence is 5 to 10 cm long, and is sometimes provided with pubescence.

On the other hand, the flowers are arranged in balloon-shaped, cone-like chapters, 2 to 3 cm in diameter. The flowers can be bisexual or bisexual and female in the same inflorescence. The flowers have five parts, supported by concave bracts, ovate and with an acuminate apex.

The floral tube varies from gray to white and the lower part is laterally flattened and winged at two ends; while the upper part is cup-shaped. The calyx has five lobes with leaflets on the bud. There may be 5 to 8 well-erect stamens with orbicular anthers and punctiform stigma.

Fruit

The button mangrove fruits are 10 to 12 mm in diameter, leathery, laterally flattened, with two wings, and organized roof-like in a cone-like structure.

In turn, the pericarp is thin, leathery on the outer surface and with spongy aerenchyma on the inner layers. Furthermore, the fruits have a brownish-purple color.

Conocarpus erectus. Louise Wolff (darina)

Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Subkingdom: Viridiplantae
• Under realm: Streptophyte
• Super division: Embryophyte
• Division: Tracheophyte
• Subdivision: Euphylophytin
• Infra division: Lignophyte
• Class: Spermatophyte
• Subclass: Magnoliofita
• Superorder: Rosanae
• Order: Myrtales
• Family: Combretaceae
• Subfamily: Combretoideae
• Tribe: Terminalieae
• Genus: Conocarpus
• Species: Conocarpus erectus - buttonwood mangrove

Synonymy

• Terminalia erecta (L.) Baill.
• Conocarpus procumbens L.
• Conocarpus sericeus JR Forst. ex G. Don
• Conocarpus acutifolius Humb. & Bonpl. ex Roem. & Schult

Habitat and distribution

Conocarpus erectus is a common member of the mangrove communities of the tropical and subtropical regions of the new continent. This species extends from the Caribbean islands, through Bermuda and the Bahamas, and in the central area of ​​the state of Florida.

In addition, it is distributed from the northeast of Mexico and towards the south, along the coasts of the Brazilian Atlantic. While on the Pacific coasts of the American continent, this mangrove inhabits from northern Mexico to northwestern Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. Similarly, the button mangrove is found in West Africa, from Senegal to Zaire.

Conocarpus erectus is one of the most terrestrial mangrove species that exists, since it establishes itself in soils that generally do not suffer floods. Like other mangroves, this species is present in regions with average annual temperatures above 20 ͒ C, avoiding growth in areas with freezing temperatures.

This species generally grows in saline or brackish silt along coastal depositions, behind mangrove communities above the intertidal belt. Also, C. erectus grows with some regularity in marshes, estuaries, grao, and in fangoria.

Properties

Conocarpus erectus has been used to treat different disorders such as anemia, malaria, fever, bloating, diabetes, syphilis, gonorrhea, colds, conjunctivitis, and diarrhea.

Antioxidant activity

Methanolic extracts from various parts of C. erectus and organic fractions have shown antioxidant properties. According to these studies, the fruit has the highest antioxidant activity, followed by the flowers, stems and leaves.

Hepatoprotective activity

The methanolic extracts of leaves, fruits, and flowers, as well as the stem of the button mangrove, significantly decrease the levels of alanine aminotransferase activity and do not change the levels of urea in the blood.

Anticancer activity

The ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts of leaves, flowers, fruits and stem have shown cytotoxic activity against several cancer cell lines.

Antimicrobial activity

The purified tannins of C. erectus, as well as crude extracts from different parts, have exhibited antagonistic activity against different strains of Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria, as well as against fungal microorganisms.

Isolated components

The phytochemicals isolated from Conocarpus erectus include gallic acid, ellagic acid, quercetins, syringitin, ellagitannins, as well as 12 other flavonoids with antioxidant properties. Also, in leaves and stems are tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and triterpenes.

References

1. Discover Life. (1995-2019). Conocarpus erectus L. Taken from: discoverlife.org
2. Graham, SA 1964. The genera of Rhizophoraceae and Combretaceae in the southeastern United States. Arnold Arboretum, 45 (3): 286-301.
3. León-de la Luz, JL, Domínguez-Cadena, R. 2007. Notes on Conocarpus erectus (Combretaceae) in the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. J.Bot.Res.Inst.Texas, 1 (1): 487-490.
4. Plant Creations. Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus). Taken from: plantcreations.com
5. Plants Database. (2019). Conocarpus erectus L. button mangrove. Taken from: plants.usda.gov
6. Rehman, S., Azam, F., Rehman, SU, Rahman, TU, Mehmood, A., Gohar, A., Samad, S. 2019. A review of botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological reports of Conocarpus erectus. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 32 (1): 212-217.