Adopt-A-Wetland

White mangrove leaves (left) and flowers
(above). Photo credits: Maia McGuire (left),
NOAA (above)
The white mangrove has fleshy, flattened, oval shaped light green leaves with rounded ends. Two glands
located at the apex of the petiole excrete floral nectar from the plant. The flowers are greenish-white. The
propagules resemble small-flattened pears about an inch long. Like the red and black mangrove, the
propagules fall into the water after maturing. They drift until they are stranded, at which time small roots
will anchor them into the soil.
Buttonwood Conocarpus erectus
The buttonwood gets its name from the button-shaped fruit clusters it produces. Although not true
mangroves, because they lack mangroves’ reproductive and root characteristics, buttonwoods are closely
associated with them and are common in upper portions of mangrove swamps. Buttonwoods do not grow
as large as mangroves in Florida. They rarely reach heights of 15-20 feet and are often more shrub-like than
tree-like. The leaves are lance-shaped and have a silvery-gray sheen with two obliquely arranged nectar
glands. Unlike mangroves, the leaves are alternately arranged. Early settlers in South Florida cherished the
yellowish-brown heartwood of the Buttonwood—it was prized for fuel.
18 DRAFT AUGUST 2015