Bruguiera parviflora

(Roxb.) Wight & Arn. ex Griff.

Slender-fruited Orange Mangrove

Rhizophoraceae Edible: Seeds, Embryo 58 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Bruguiera parviflora is a tree in the family Rhizophoraceae. The specific epithet parviflora is from the Latin meaning 'small flowers'.

Description

A straight growing tree of medium size. It reaches 35 m high. The trunk is straight and up to 30 cm across. The bark is smooth and grey with white blotches. It can have buttresses up to 1 m high and has knee shaped aerial roots. The leaves are in tufts at the end of the upward bending twigs. The leaves are dull or yellowish green, long and tapering at both ends. They are 4-11 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The leaf stalk is less than 2.5 cm. The flowers are in groups of 2-5 on stalks in the axils of leaves. The flowers are small being 0.3 cm across. The fruit is long, about 1.5- 3 cm and with 8 tiny teeth clasping the slender (10-20 cm) long hypocotyl.

Edible Uses

The germinating embryo is eaten as a vegetable. The fruit itself is only occasionally used as food.

Traditional Uses

The fruit if eaten is only occasionally used. The germinating embryo is eaten as a vegetable.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows on the inner edge of the mangrove swamp on level or slightly sloping ground. It occurs along flooded tidal rivers and can be flooded by normal high tides. It prefers stiff, humus rich mud. It is not shade tolerant so needs open land to germinate and grow. It occurs from India to Vanuatu.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia*, Brunei, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vanuatu,

Cultivation

Seeds can be planted directly or seedlings can be transplanted. The fruit can easily be spread by rain and water and often washes onto the higher pieces of mangrove swamp land.

Production

In the southern hemisphere it flowers and fruits in July.

Other Information

It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea.

Notes

There are 6 Bruguiera species. They grow in tropical mangrove swamps.

Synonyms

Rhizophora parviflora Roxb.

Also Known As

Byu-kyettet, Hnit, Lenggadai, Langkadai, Nangkadai, Small-leafed Orange mangrove, Tua dam, Tua kao, Vurada

References (21)

Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 89
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 378
Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 67 (As Bruguiera parvifolia ?)
Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 428
Ding Hou, 1958, Rhizophoraceae in Flora Malesiana 5(4) p 464

Show all 21 references

Dobriyal, M. J. R. & Dobriyal, R., 2014, Non Wood Forest Produce an Option for Ethnic Food and Nutritional Security in India. Int. J. of Usuf. Mngt. 15(1):17-37
Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1982, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 2. Lothian. p 383
Floyd, A.G., 1977, Ecology of the Tidal Forests in the Kikori-Romilly Sound Area Gulf of Papua. Ecology Report No 4 Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. p 30
French, B.R., 2010, Food Plants of Solomon Islands. A Compendium. Food Plants International Inc. p 302
Frodin, D.G. & Leach, G.L., 1982, Mangroves of the Port Moresby Region. Biology Department Occasional Paper No 3 Revised edition. Papua New Guinea, p 32
Henderson, C.P. and I.R.Hancock, 1988, A Guide to the Useful Plants of the Solomon Islands. Res. Dept. Min of Ag. & Lands. Honiara, Solomon Islands. p 152
Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 40
Lovelock, C., & Clarke, S., 1999, Field Guide to the Mangroves of Queensland. Australian Institute of Marine Science. p 58
Menninger, E.A., 1977, Edible Nuts of the World. Horticultural Books. Florida p 115
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Peekel, P.G., 1984, (Translation E.E.Henty), Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for Naturalists, Division of Botany, Lae, PNG. p 400, 398
Roy, S. D., et al, 2009, Mangroves of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. ICAR p 16
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