e-Key v3 - Lumnitzera
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Combretaceae - Lumnitzera Willd.

Description :

  • Mangroves: small evergreen trees or shrubs
  • Leaves alternate, sessile or subsessile, somewhat fleshy and coriaceous
  • Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous, in short terminal spikes or racemes, red, white, pink or yellow
  • Receptacle not externally differentiated into an upper and lower part but produced beyond inferior ovary to form a tube bearing 2 adnate persistent bracteoles and terminating in a 5-lobed persistent calyx
  • Petals 5, caducous
  • Stamens 5-10, 2-seriate
  • Disc inconspicuous
  • Style filiform, persistent, not adnate to wall of receptacle, not expanded at apex
  • Ovary with 2-5 ovules
  • Fruit indehiscent, ± woody, compressed-ellipsoid and obtusely angled, crowned by persistent calyx
  • Seeds : cotyledons unknown

Nomenclature:

  • Lumnitzera Willd.
    • Willdenow: 186 (1803)
    • Exell: 181 (1978)
    • Carr: 159 (1988)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 2, 1 in tropical Asia, Northern Australia and Polynesia, the other in eastern and southern Africa, Madagascar and Polynesia
  • Southern Africa : Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. in KwaZulu-Natal, associate in mangrove swamps

References:

  • CARR, J.D. 1988. Combretaceae in southern Africa . Tree Society of southern Africa, Johannesburg
  • EXELL, A.W. 1978. Combretaceae . Flora zambesiaca 4
  • WILLDENOW, C.L. VON 1803. Der Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin neue Schriften 4