English: Red mangrove.
Source:
Lamu provings.
DD: Oxygen, Natrum, Muriaticum, Iodatum.
Range: east Africa, southeast Asia through Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and S. Pacific
Habitat: wet lowland tropics and subtropics; coast in brackish and saline areas, shores, marshes along the banks of tidal creeks, estuaries, low coastal areas flooded by normal, daily, high tides; sunny position.
Content: tannin, 8 - 40%, pentosans, furfurol; lime (18%); calcium carbonate (70%).
Use: bark for for tanning leather and to toughen and deep brown or black dye lines, nets, and ropes used by fishermen; wood for fuel; protecting inland areas from the ocean, strong winds, storms, stabilizing the shore line; for fertilizer; wood said to be durable in water and under-ground, and would be suitable for foundations of bridges and wharves, for heavy constructions, poles, piling, frames of houses, fish traps; wood limited because of its light weight, poor durability and small size of the trunk; wood for charcoal, firewood, in baking; fish smoking.
BotanySlow-growing, much-branched, evergreen, mangrove tree; 27 metres tall.
Stem: 50 - 70 cm in diameter; numerous stilt roots from the base; wood shows a beautiful silver grain on radial section; heartwood is dark orange-red, easily salt.
Seed: germinating when still attached or hanging on the tree, viviparous; gradually protrudes from the fruit, at first like a green cigar, then grows into a rod-like structure; when dropping into the mud and grow or into the water at high tide and drift to another place
fruit is occasionally eaten after first boiling or baking