Description:

• Shrubs or small trees of the mangrove zone; pneumatophores present; nodes swollen
• Leaves opposite, simple, lanceolate to elliptic, sessile, entire, coriaceous, petiolate; stipules 0
• Flowers bisexual, regular, small, in contracted or capitate cymes; bracts and bracteoles present
• Calyx deeply 5-lobed; lobes ovate
• Corolla 4- or 5-lobed, somewhat fleshy, yellow; tube funnel-shaped or campanulate; lobes longer than tube, ovate, glandular-pubescent on outer surface
• Stamens 4, arising in throat of corolla, included; anthers ovate, with parallel thecae
• Ovary superior, 2-carpellate, imperfectly 4-locular, with free-central, ± 4-winged placenta and a single pendent, orthotropous ovule in each locule; densely hirsute; style shorter than ovary, fleshy, conical, bilobed
• Fruit a broadly ellipsoid, compressed capsule, opening by 2 (or 4) thick valves
• Seed usually solitary by abortion and germinating before fruit drops; endosperm fleshy

Classification Notes:

• The family Avicenniaceae has often been included in the Verbenaceae as a monotypic subfamily but is treated here as a segregated family on morphological grounds

Nomenclature:

• Avicenniaceae
  • Endlicher: 314 (1841)
  • Moldenke: 149 (1973)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Monotypic family; Avicennia, with 14 species, occurs in the tropics and subtropics of both the Old and New World, being one of the major constituents of almost all coastal mangrove lagoons
• Southern Africa: Genera 1, species 1

References:

• ENDLICHER, S. 1841. Enchiridion botanicum. Engelmann, Leipzig
• MOLDENKE, H.N. 1973. Flora of Panama. Family 168A. Avicenniaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 60

Resources:

• Avicenniaceae genus: Avicennia