When time and funding permit, each flower (each plant species) will have its own page, and its own PDF, and eventually its own PPT so that professors and students have plenty of material on Guatemala (and Honduras, etc) to study.
Heliconia adflexa, Coban, Guatemala, Hotel Monja Blanca, FLAAR, by Nicholas Hellmuth
This space is for flowers we have recently found and photographed.
Red Mangroove an essential species for mangrove ecosystems
Posted November 5, 2021
When we were navigating through the entrance of Laguna Grande we could observe different structures of the red mangrove in which we could highlight the tiny yellow flowers and two red mangrove fruits. We had not had the opportunity to photograph these ripe fruits and the intense red color they present is incredible.
The red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is a tree species of the Rizophoraceae family typical of mangrove ecosystems. It is commonly called red mangrove, Colorado mangrove, chifle mangrove, zapotero mangrove or cunapo.
Different uses are attributed to Rhizophora mangle
Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) at Laguna Grande, Rio Sarstun, Livingston. October, 2021. Photo by Roxana Leal with iPhone 13 Pro Max, FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) at Laguna Grande, Rio Sarstun, Livingston. October, 2021. Photo by Victor Mendoza with Sony RX10, FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Use
Part of the plant
Adhesivo
Látex
Handricrafts
Wood
Colorants
Cortex
Fuel
Wood
Edible
Fruit
Construction
Wood and leaves (for ceillings)
Tools
Wood
Medicinal
Cortex, leaves and root
Melliferous
Flower
Botanical Description
Habit
Prenifolio tree of saline habitat, 15 m high up to 30 m.
Size
Simple inflorescence of 2 to 3 flowers, actinomorphic and the corolla is about 1.8 cm
Stem
Brown berry about 2 to 3 cm long by 1.5 wide
Leaves
Alternate up to 25 cm long, composed of rachis with up to 5 to 15 pairs of secondary axes with narrow leaflets of up to 11mm.
Inflorescence
It has viviparity (the seed germinates within the fruit). Green color, it measures between 22 and 40 cm long and between 1 and 2 cm in diameter.
Flowers
It has fulcreatic, branched, arched and curved roots where modified roots called stilts develop.
Fruits and seeds
Opposite and simple, agglomerate form measuring 8 to 15 cm long and 4 to 6 wide.
Importance of mangroves:
They protect biodiversity, since they serve as a refuge, feeding and reproduction area for many terrestrial and aquatic, migratory and local species.
Its roots are of great importance because they can fix sediments and regulate erosion, protecting coastal marine areas because they hold mud and help to extend the mainland. They have a high carbon storage capacity in plant tissue.
Serve as natural barriers against tropical storms and hurricanes.
Mangrove ecosystems serve as natural filters as they absorb a large amount of nutrients in the water in order to prevent eutrophication.
They maintain the quality of the water. They work as a filter for some pollutants.
They are of great economic importance due to the fishing species that they harbor.
Written by Vivian Hurtado & Roxana Leal Identified Species by Victor Mendoza
