| Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) Linnaeus 1764 |
| Synonyms: Avicennia africana, Avicennia floridana, Avicennia lamarckiana, Avicennia nitida. See The Plant List for more synonyms. |
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Avicennia germinans is a mangrove found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the tropical and subtropical America, and the Atlantic coast of West Africa. It grows on the sandy and muddy shores just above the high tide in coastal lagoons and brackish estuaries. Black Mangrove is a tree in the tropics (reaching up to 10-15 m in height), though only a shrub along the Gulf coast of the United States. This species is less tolerant of highly saline conditions than other mangroves, and, unlike them, it does not develop prop roots. Instead, Avicennia germinans possesses pneumatophores, the aerating roots, growing upward from the proper roots, and remaining above the water when the latter are submerged. Clusters of small white flowers are borne in the leaf axils or tips of the twigs. The fruit is a green ellipsoid capsule. The seed germinates inside the fruit which fall off the plant and float; it sprouts when washed ashore in a suitable habitat. Avicennia was formerly included in the Verbenaceae.
