1. LAGUNCULARIA C. F. Gaertner, Suppl. Carp. 209, plate 217, fig. 3. 1807.
[Latin laguncula, flask or bottle, and aria, pertaining, alluding to fruit shape]
Shrubs or trees, often with ± erect pneumatophores. Stems erect, equal; twigs glabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs short, combretaceous. Leaves persistent, opposite and decussate; stipules absent; petiole not differentiated proximally and no part of it persistent, nectar glands conspicuous; blade fleshy-leathery, venation brochidodromous, apex obtuse, rounded, or retuse, surfaces often appearing glabrous, but with minute, scattered, salt-excreting glandular hairs, these sunken and similar in form to domatial glands; with pit-domatia abaxially at junction of secondary and lower order veins, each containing a basal gland. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, spikes or panicles; bracteoles present. Flowers inconspicuous, bisexual or staminate on different plants; hypanthium shallowly cupulate, free portion 1.3–2.5 mm, densely pubescent abaxially; sepals 5, green, triangular, pubescent abaxially; petals 5, greenish white, orbiculate, 1–1.3 mm, apex rounded to obtuse, pubescent (especially marginally); stamens 10, ± included; nectary disc atop ovary, pubescent; ovary somewhat flattened; style straight, free from hypanthium, with well-developed pistillode in staminate flowers; ovules 2. Drupes slightly flattened, oblong to obovoid, slightly ridged; with 2 major ridges, those subtending bracteoles better developed than others and forming spongy wings; hypanthium and calyx persistent.
Species 1: s United States, e Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, w Africa; tropical and subtropical mangrove habitats.
SELECTED REFERENCES Biehl, R. and H. Kinzel. 1965. Blattbau und Salzhaushalt von Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f. und anderer Mangrovebaüme auf Puerto Rico. Oesterr. Bot. Z. 112: 56–93. Landry, C. L., B. J. Rathcke, and L. B. Kass. 2009. Distribution of androdioecious and hermaphroditic populations of the mangrove Laguncularia racemosa (Combretaceae) in Florida and the Bahamas. J. Trop. Ecol. 25: 75–83.
