Combretaceae R. Brown. Common name: Combretum Family.
A family of about 11-14 genera and 500 species, trees and shrubs, of the neotropics and paleotropics.
ID notes: Combretaceae is among three families of plants that broadly include "mangroves." Mangrove is a term sometimes loosely representing an alliance of coastal hardwood shrubs and trees often dominant or co-dominant in coastal and riverine brackish or saline wetlands. Species in the Combretaceae can be distinguished by the presence of variously-shaped drupe, and pneumatophores often absent (except Langucularia which CAN have a mix of prop root and pneumatophores and Lumnitzera with pneumatophores) vs. the conspicuously tall prop root of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophoraceae), and fruit as drupe (vs. Avicennia germinans, Acanthaceae, with large flattened capsule and only with abundant finger-like pneumatophores). From wettest and most saline to drier and least saline is typically: Rhizophora, Avicennia, Langucularia, and Conocarpus, although all four can often co-occur in varying abundance.
References: Judd (2021) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2021); Stace (2007) In Kubitzki, Bayer, & Stevens (2007). Show full citations.
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend. Data for arrows not developed for genera and families which may have species only occurring outside the flora area.
© Scott Ward | Laguncularia racemosa | Original Image ⭷
© Chase Mathey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chase Mathey | Terminalia catappa source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Laguncularia racemosa | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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