RED MANGROVE: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, CULTIVATION AND BENEFITS - BIOLOGY - 2025

The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is a species of the Rhizophoraceae family, whose characteristic is to be the typical species of the mangrove ecosystem. It is commonly known as cunapo, mangle, red mangrove, red mangrove, chifle mangle, cobbler mangrove and in English as mangrove and red mangrove.

Rhizophora mangle is a characteristic tree of mangroves, whose striking structure is its roots called stilts, which are observed as aerial projections of the stem. In addition, it has pneumatophore-type roots that emerge from the ground.

Red mangrove. Boricuaeddie

The red mangrove is a facultative halophyte species that occurs throughout the world on tropical and subtropical coasts. It occupies the littoral areas of the Atlantic, Pacific or the Caribbean Sea. It is also possible to find them in some archipelagos like Galapagos and in Hawaii.

These plants are characteristic for being both pioneers and mature species. Seedlings of the red mangrove have a successful establishment, allowing them to colonize the gaps found in the mangroves. The red mangrove is an oligotrophic species, as it adapts to conditions of low nutrients in the substrate.

The mangrove has several medicinal uses. All its parts are consumed and, depending on its properties, it is used as an antipyretic, hemostatic, antidiarrheal, against asthma, bite or sting of poisonous marine animals, wounds (various), against tuberculosis, leprosy, hemorrhages and elephantiasis. Also, it has anti hyperglycemic properties.

On the other hand, some uses of its wood are known, being common as firewood or for charcoal. In addition, it can be used in rural, marine or residential construction.

characteristics

Tree

The red mangrove is an evergreen tree, with a saline habitat, whose length can be from 1.5 meters to 15 meters, some even reaching up to 30. The diameter at chest height can be up to 50 cm.

Red mangrove. Pro CEN Coalition

Leaves

Rhizophora mangle has a rounded crown, its leaves are opposite and simple, with petioles and elliptical to oblong. The leaves are agglomerated at the ends of the branches and each one is between 8 and 13 cm long and 4 to 5.5 cm wide, they are leathery and thick, with a smooth texture, in the beam they have a dark green color, while on the underside they are yellowish with black dots.

Branches

The trunk of this species is straight and its branches are supported by numerous adventitious aerial roots. Sometimes they are simple or dichotomously branched; it also shows many lenticels.

Cortex

For its part, the outer bark is pale olive in color and has gray spots, with the particularity that if this bark is scraped it turns red. Likewise, the bark is odorless, bitter, with a smooth-rough texture, a hard appearance, with many fibers and it comes off easily in flakes.

Otherwise, the inner cortex is deep red with a granular appearance due to the presence of fibers and sclereids. This bark has hypertrophied lenticels in the submerged area of ​​roots and stems. The thickness of the crust is about 20 to 30 mm.

Estate

Rhizophora mangle develops fulcreous, branched, arched and curved roots, where modified roots called stilts (aerial extensions of the stem) stand out. They can also appear as short, long roots that emerge from the ground and are called pneumatophores.

Rhizophora mangle. Trees ForTheFuture

Flower

The flower of the red mangrove consists of simple inflorescences of 2 or 3 flowers, with peduncles between 3 and 5 cm. The flowers are actinomorphic and the corolla is about 1.8 cm in diameter.

Consequently, the calyx measures 1.5 cm in diameter, has 4 thick and leathery yellow sepals about 4.1 mm wide. It shows 4 yellowish-white petals at the base, and a reddish-brown tone on the upper part, about 2.6 mm wide.

Fruit

The fruit of the red mangrove is a brown berry, with a leathery and hard texture, farinous, piriform, about 2 to 3 cm long and 1.5 cm wide; in turn, the chalice is persistent. Normally one seed develops per fruit, although sometimes it may bring up to two.

Seed

The red mangrove has viviparity in its seed, that is, it germinates inside the fruit. The seed has curved greenish-brown propagules in its lower part, and it also has lenticels.

The seeds can measure between 22 and 40 cm long, and between 1 to 2 cm in diameter at the widest part, their weight is approximately 50 g.

Taxonomy

The red mangrove has the following taxonomic description:

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Rhizophoraceae

Genus: Rhizophora L. (1753)

Species: Rhizophora mangle L.

Synonymy:

Rhizophora americana Nutt.

Rhizophora mangle var. samoensis Hochr.

Rhizophora mangle var. racemosa (G. Mey.) Engl. in C. Martius

Rhizophora samoensis (Hochr.) Salvoza.

Habitat and distribution

The red mangrove is a pantropical species. In Mexico it is found throughout the coastal zone of the Gulf, in the Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. It is also found in extreme latitudes such as Baja California or south of Chiapas.

Its altitude distribution range is at sea level. This plant species extends continuously from the American coasts and from the lower part of Sonora to Ecuador in South America, including in the Galapagos archipelago.

On the other hand, in the Atlantic Ocean the mangrove is present in a discontinuous way starting from the coasts of Florida to Brazil. In the Caribbean Sea it can be found in the Bermuda and Bahamas islands, in the Greater and Lesser Antilles. In other places like Hawaii, and even in Africa from Angola to Mauritania, you can also get this species.

Thus, the red mangrove is a typical wild species of the coastline where it can be observed forming masses of this species in the intertidal zones of the lagoons of the coasts, or in estuaries that converge with salt water.

Mangrove swamp. Yasmira Gil

Hence, Rhizophora mangle grows in environments where there is continual movement of water between hypersaline and brackish. The area where it thrives best is in places with a low slope where the tide can enter more easily, while in places with strong waves its development is difficult.

Consequently, the characteristics of the mangrove habitat allow them to be very sensitive in areas where there is great disturbance.

Culture

Wild

From a productive point of view, mangroves develop best in estuaries with fine mud, which present silt, clay and a large amount of organic matter (approximately 49.26 ppm), in contrast to the soils where Avicenni a lives.

The soil must contain a muddy substrate, with peat, usually black-sandy and very humid. It can also be black-clay or light brown (sandy-clay) in color and texture.

Swampy or flooded soils, as well as coral rock are also valid. The pH should be around 6.6 when it is saturated with water, and when the substrate dries, the pH should be between 2.2 and 3.

Plantation

The Rhizophora tree is artificially propagated by seedlings. This planting can be done under the non-closed canopy scheme of trees and in this way maximize the establishment of the species. This closed canopy condition offers protection to the seedlings from wind action, erosion and tidal influence.

On the other hand, the red mangrove can reproduce in a sexual way through seeds (seedlings) or direct sowing, since it is known that a high percentage (90%) of the individuals that are sown directly survive.

Selection of red mangrove seeds. RigelNava

Likewise, natural regeneration turns out to be very successful, since the viviparity characteristic makes the seedlings remain attached to the mother plant until they reach a certain development and due to the effect of gravity they fall into the mud and produce their own roots.

Regarding asexual reproduction, the mangrove can be propagated by air layering, suckers or shoots (stump).

Health benefits

The red mangrove has some medicinal properties according to the structure that is consumed. For example, the bark has properties such as antipyretic, hemostatic, antidiarrheal, against asthma, bite or sting of poisonous marine animals, wounds (various), against tuberculosis, leprosy, hemorrhages and elephantiasis.

On the other hand, the consumption of the leaf has benefits for scurvy, toothache and ulcers caused by leprosy. As for the consumption of the root, the scraping of this is used against the bites of marine fish and against the bites of poisonous insects.

Likewise, the consumption of embryos (crushed and cooked) are used as astringents. The embryos are rich in quantity of tannins. In addition, the mangrove plant has an anti-hyperglycemic effect, so it is recommended to do studies in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Side effects

The fruit of Rhizophora mangle is edible, but its fermented juice produces an intoxicating drink.

The passage of many mangroves worldwide from public to private property and their excessive use, have caused mangroves to be affected by their exploitation. Therefore, the decline in these ecosystems has affected the populations of marine flora and fauna.

References

1. Christensen, Bo. 1979. What are mangroves for? Taken from: fao.org
2. Feller, I. 1995. Effects of nutrient enrichment on growth and herbivory of dwarf red mangrove (Rhizophora mangl e). Ecological Monograph 65 (4): 477-505.
3. Catalog of Life. 2019. Species details: Rhizophora mangle L. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
4. Tropics. 2019. Rhizophora mangle L. Taken from: tropicos.org
5. CONABIO. 2019. Rhizophora mangl e L. (1753). P. 219-223. Taken from: conabio.gob.mx