White mangrove
Avicennia alba

Family: Acanthaceae

What it is like

A small or medium sized tree. It grows up to 20-25 m in height and has a trunk which is 60 cm across. The bark is dark brown. It can have short cracks along it. The trunk has many branches from low down. The twigs have a white covering at first but then become smooth and shiny. There are many aerial roots. The leaves are simple and produced opposite each other. The leaf blade is long and sword shaped. It has a tip at the end and is wedge shaped near the base. The upper surface of the leaves is pale green while the lower surface is silvery hairy. The side veins are easy to see. The leaves can be 3-16 cm long and 1.5-5 cm wide. (The flowers are in 3 branched arrangements with a flower on each stalk.) There can be 10-30 flowers opposite each other. The flower stalks are 1-3 cm long. The fruit is a greenish-yellow pear shaped capsule. Seeds germinate before the fruit falls. The fruit are edible.

There are about 6-8 Avicennia species. The Avicenniacae contains one genus. They are tropical. Also put in the family Avicenniaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in mangrove regions along the coast in tropical countries in Asia and the Pacific. It demands light, so is often one of the first mangrove species to grow in a new area. It tends to be at the outer edge of mangrove forests. It is often along tidal river banks. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten.

It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea, trees are more common along the north coast.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

It grows naturally from the many fruit it produces. Plants can be grown from seed.

It is fast growing.

Its other names

Local names

Api-api hitam, Mam trang, Maricha baen, Sada baen

Synonyms

Avicennia marina var. alba Vierh.;