Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Red Mangrove (Rhizophora Mangle)
The Red Mangrove - also known as the “Walking Tree” - can be identified by the trunk roots which have a reddish color to the bark.
They have shiny deep green leaves which are lighter on the underside. The leaves measure 1-5 inches in length and are broad and blunt at the tip.
Their prop roots - arching out from the trunk and the branches, produce additional roots and give the tree the appearance that it is walking into the water.
Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is the most common in the Galapagos named for its reddish wood. This species is used around the world as a source of charcoal and tannins for leather working. Trees grow to 72 ft (22 m) in height, yet red mangroves also can be seen as small bushes. The thick leathery leaves grow in pairs with a dark green leaf above and pale yellow leaf below. Red mangroves have yellow flowers that grow in groups of 2 or 3. Red mangroves can be seen growing near the low tide zone as well as at higher elevations mixed with other mangrove species.
The red mangroves are the first flora to populate a volcanic island in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.
The survival of this tree in brackish water is a direct result of the tree’s ability to adapt to its environment by using its roots to remove 99/100ths of the salt from the water it drinks. Red Mangrove tissue samples, when analyzed, revealed that the salt content of the water in those samples had approximately 1/100th of the salt found in the water in which the trees were growing.
The Red Mangrove produces bud-like growths which grow into torpedo-shaped seedlings known as propagules. These seedlings eventually fall into the water and either take root in the ground below or float and drift with the tides until suitable ground is found. A red mangrove propagule can drift for a year before rooting and producing a tree.
living nature
4:43 PM
