mangrove flora: api-api putih (avicennia alba)

CONTENTS

Fauna index

Flowering plants

Peter K L Ng and N Sivasothi (editors)

Api-api putih Avicennia alba Family Avicenniaceae From Western India to Southeast Asia and Western Pacific. In most local sites. Tree or shrub, to 20 m tall; bark dark grey (black when wet), smooth.		Habit of Avicennia alba The pneumatophores of arise from lateral root growing out of the sand Fruiting branch Flowers
Bark Seedlings of various ages	Pneumatophores to about 20 cm tall, pencil-like. Leaf blades shiny dark green above and white waxy below (Latin alba, white, as well as the Malay, putih refer to this feature), usually egg-shaped, elliptic or lance-shaped with a pointed tip but can be very variable even within the same branch; Flowers in cross-like inflorescences; petals yellow, about 4 mm across. Fruit dull pale green, flattened, elongated ellipsoid, with seedlings germinating within.

Found commonly on newly formed mudbanks on the seaward side, along or near rivers. Burning wood used to smoke fish or rubber. Common.

See also
Api-api jambu (Avicennia marina)
Api-api ludat (Avicennia officinalis)
Api-api bulu (Avicennia rumphiana)
Salt secretion, cryptovivipary and pneumatophores as adaptations to the mangroves.
Avicennia seed moth that is a pest on its seeds.

What is mangrove?
Introduction

The Ecosystem
Abiotic
Biotic

Value
Intro
Products
Indirect uses
Potential uses

About Mangroves
in Singapore
History
Mangroves to visit
Conservation

From "A Guide to Mangroves of Singapore", Peter K. L. Ng and N. Sivasothi (editors)
Volume 1: The Ecosystem and Plant Diversity and Volume 2: Animal Diversity
Authors: Kelvin K. P. Lim, Dennis H. Murphy, T. Morgany, N. Sivasothi, Peter K. L. Ng,
B. C. Soong, Hugh T. W. Tan, K. S. Tan & T. K. Tan
BP Guide to Nature Series published by the Singapore Science Centre, sponsored by British Petroleum
© 2001 Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, The National University of Singapore & The Singapore Science Centre