Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

183. MangIe blanco, white-mangrove
One of the 4 species of mangrove swamp forests
on brackish silty seashores, man le blanco is characterized
by: (1) opposite, leat % ery and sli htly
fleshy, elliptic leaves 1x4 inches long anf 1-2
inahes broad, rounded at both ends, dull yellow
green on both sides and borne on reddish etioles
with 2 raised gland dots near a. ex; (2r graybrown
bark becoming rough an $ fissured; (3)
many small bell-shaped whitish flowers about
inch long, stalkless in terminal and lateral clusters
14 inches long; and (4) clusters of velvety gryreen
fruits inch long, slightly pear-shaped
obovoid), flattened and with ridges.
7
Commonly a small evergreen tree to 40 feet
high and 1 foot in trunk diameter, sometimes
larger. Many trees consist of a clump of stems
which have sprouted after cutting. The inner bark
is light brown, bitter and astringent. Twigs are
greenish or reddish brown when young but becoming
brown, hairless, and thickened at nodes.
The leaves have stout petioles 3 -'/z inch lon .
Leaf blades are without toothe edges, visib e
branched and
mostly bisexual
t f
Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f.
The sapwood is li ht brown, and the heartwood
yellowish brown. #he wood is moderatel heavy
(specific gravity O.B), hard, and strong, gut not
very durable. In Puerto Rim used mainly for
osts, fuel, or charcoal, and sometimes for tool
Randles and similar objects. Elsewherrs the wood
has served also for construction. The bark contains
tannin and has been employed in tanning and
medic in ell^
A rapid y growing tree which ma flower and
fruit when lass than 2 years old. &so a honey
plant.
The most widely distributed of the mangrove
species in Puerto Rico. Grows along the silty
shores of lagoons and estuaries near the coast.
Also in Mona, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St.
John, and Anegada.
P m c m~Es~s.-Aguirre, Boquerh, Ceiba,
Gurinica, San Juan.
R~~oE.-Shores of central and southern Florida
including Florida Keys, Bermuda, and nearly
throughout West Indies (except Dominica) from
Bnhamas and Cuba to Trinidad and Toba~o and
Dutch West Indies. On both consts of continental
tro ical America from Mexico south to Ecuador
B
an northwestern Peru and to Brazil. Also in
western tropical Africa.
OTHER COMMON NAMES.-mangle bob0 (Puerto
Rico) ; mangel (Virgin Islands) ; mangle blanco
(Spanish); mangle amarillo, ma~igle prieto
(Dominican Republic) ; patabSn (Cuba) ; cin-
cahuite (El Salvador) ; palo de sal, mangle mare-
quih (Costa Rica) ; mangle amarillo (Vene-
zuela) ; white-mangrove, white buttonwood
(United States, English) ; green turtle-bough
(Bahamas) ; coil (British Guiana) ; mangle,
manglier blanc (Haiti) ; paletuvier (French) ;
mangle blanc, manglier blanc (Guadeloupe) ;
akira (Surinam) ; mangue, manye branco
(Bwil) .