Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

COMBRETUM FAMILY (COMBRETACEAE)
182. Mangle both, button-mangrove Conocarpus erectus L.
Button-mangrove, n tree frequently shrubby in
habit and usunlly on the Inndlrnrd side of tidal
mnngrove swamp forests, is distinguished as the
only mangrove species with alternnte leaves. It is
further characterized b : (1) leather and slightly
fleshy, lance-shapedl or elliptic i eaves 1x9
inches long nnd y2-1?4 inches broad, long-pointed
nt both ends, yellow pen on both sides; (2) yello~v-green
angled or minged twigs; (3) minute
greenish frapnt flowers less than '/le inch across,
crowded in bnlls less thnn 4/4 inch in dinmeter in
terminnl and lateral clusters; nnd (4) purplishbrown
rounded conelike fruits %-%. Inch in dinmeter,
composed of mnny scnlelike s~ngle 1-seeded
fruits about y8 inch long.
A small evergreen tree to 20 feet in height and
8 inches in trunk diameter, sometimes larger or
a low shrub, with spreading crown. Usually hairless
thrqughout, but one variation has silky or silvery
hn~ry foliage. The bnrk is gray or brown,
becoming rough, furrowed, and thick. Inner bnrk
is light brown and astringent and bitter. The
twigs are yellow green when young, becoming
brown, -. nnd with n prominent angle or wing below
each leaf.
The leaves have slight1 winged, short petioles
%-% inch long with 2 dotEke glands. Lenf blndes
nre not toothed on edges and usual1 have several
dotlike glands near vein angles on r ower surface.
~hergare commonly se&rnl stalked bnlls or
hends of flowers in clusters mostly 1-3 inches long.
Flowers are mostly bisexual, but some trees bear
heads of male flowers. Bisexual flowers are more
thnn ?/lo inch long, with hniry grayish 2-winged
tubular base (hypantliium), cuplike peen calyx
with 5 lobes, 5-10 protruding stnmens, and pistil
of inferior ovary with slender style. Male flowers
lack the tubular base (hypnnthium) and pistil and
hnve longer stnmens.
Tho dry individual fruits (drupes) are brown,
2-winged, overlap ing and sepnrnting at mnturity.
Flowering and guiting probably through the
yenr.
The sapwood is light brown, nnd the heartwood
yellow brown. The wood is very hard, very
heavy (specific pvity 1.0), strong, and finetextured.
It takes n fine olisli and is said to be
generally very durable, nlt lough susceptible to at-
T
tack by dry-wood termites. The mod hns been
used for fenceposts, crossties, wood turning, and
in bontbuilding. It burns slondy nnd makes good
fuel and charcoal.
The bnrk has served in tannin and medicine,
nnd the leaves contain tannin aio. Elsewhere,
it is reported that plants can be propagnted from
cuttings as living fenceposts. In soutllern Florida
the vnrintion with silky or silvery hniry foliage is
grown as $1 hnndsome ornnmentnl. Plants of this
s ecies will gron7 on dry land away from the sea-
s l' iores.
Mnnprove swamp forests on silty shores nenr
salt nnd brackish water, and sometimes also on
rocky and sandy shores around Puerto Rico. Also
in Ilona, Icacos, Vieques, St. Crois, St. Thomas,
St. John, Tortola, Vir 'n Gordn, nnd Anepdn.
PWISLIC FORESTS.-, fguirre, l Boquelbn, Ceiba,
Guinicn, and San Juan.
R,isa~.-Shores of central and southern Florida
including Florida Keys, Bermuda, nenrly through-
out West Indies (except Dominicn) from Ba-
hnmns nnd Cuba to Trinidad nnd Tobago and
Dutch West Indies. On both consts of continental
tro ical America from lifexico south througli Cen-
trn r America nnd northern South America to
Ecundor and Galapagos Islands nnd to Brnzil.
Also in western tropicnl Africa.
OTHER OXJION ~~xm.-botoncillo (Puert0
Rico) ; buttonwood (Virgin Islnnds) ; mnngle
both (Spanish) ; botoncillo, mnngle prieto (Do-
~ninican Republic) ; ynnn (Cubn) ; mangle negro,
mnngle prieto (Mexico) ; botoncillo (El Salva-
dor) ; mnrequito, mangle negro, mnnde mnrequita
(Costn Rica) ; zarngcsn, mnngle pifiuelo, mangle
torcido (Pannmn) ; mangle negro, mnngle gnrban-
cillo (Colombia) ; botoncillo, mangle botoncillo,
mnngle lloroso (Venezuela) ; mangle jelf, jele
(E c u a d o r) ; button-mangrove, buttonwood
(United Stntes, English) ; mnnplier (St. Lucia) ;
buttonbush, botoncillo (British Hondurns) : man-
gle, pnldtuvier (Haiti) ; pnl8tuvier gris (Guade-
loupe, Mnrtinique) ; mangle firis, mnnglier gris,
clldne Guadeloupe (Guadeloupe) ; mangel, grijze
mangel, mangel blancu, witte mange1 (Dutch West
Indies); mangue, mangue bmnco, mangue de
botiio (Brazil).