Common name: Sonneratia mangrove, Maram (Tamil), Keora (Bengali), Kyalanki (Telugu), Khirwa (Oriya), {Kandal, Chipi} (Marathi)
Botanical name: Sonneratia apetala Family: Sonneratiaceae (apple mangrove family)
Sonneratia mangrove is a small to medium size tree, which can
attain a height of about 20m and a girth of about 2.5m. The tree occurs on
newly accreted soil in moderately to strongly saline areas and is considered
as a pioneer species in ecological succession. The species is distributed in
India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The leaves are simple opposite, entire and
leathery. Bark thin, light brown, irregularly fissured.
Flowers apetalous, cream coloured, arranged in axillary 3-flowered of 7
flowered dichasial cyme. The flowers have no petals, but 4 prominent green
sepals. Cream colored mass of stamens give the flowers a cream colored look.
The most interesting part of the flower is the style , which consists of a
white, 2-3 cm long, curved, stigma, falttened like umbrella or
mushroom. The upper portion is reddish in color.
| Photographed in Alibag, Maharashtra. |
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale
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