Quick Facts
common name :
Rathamilla, Tipparuthin,Teruntum Merah
Scientific Name :
Lumnitzera littorea
Kingdom :
Plantae}
Clade :
Tracheophytes Angiosperms Eudicots Rosids
Order :
Myrtales
Family :
Combretaceae
Genus :
Lumnitzera
Species :
L.littorea
Conservation Status :
3
Type of Mangrove :
True mangrove
Type of Roots :
Some may have slender knee roots
General Characters
Short shrub to tree up to 25m tall with a trunk 50-65cm in diameter.
Other Characters
Bark dark blackish brown, deeply longitudinally fissured. Branchlets reddish or green when young, glabrous.
Features of Flower
Flowers small (2-3cm) in dense bunches, bright red with five tiny petals (the stamens are much longer than the petals). The flowers are fragrant and produce lots of nectar.
Features of Fruits
The small fruits(9-12cm) are longitudinally ribbed, corky and float, and dispersed by water. Each fruit contains one seed. Colour: Yellowish green.Shape: Vase-shape
Leaf Arrangment
Leaves spatula shaped with oval ends (2-8cm), thick and fleshy, arranged in a spiral. There is small gland at the leaf tip that resembles leaf nodules and are believed to contain nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Distribution
Restricted to Madu Ganga mangal in the southern wet zone
Range
E. Asia - southern China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, Pacific Islands.
Type of Roots
Some may have slender knee roots
IUCN Red List Status
