In Lagunita Creek area you can find several creeks made by spaces between mangroves, generally you can see a lot of Red Mangrove. It is difficult to navigate in this place, especially if the boat is large and has a roof, like the one we were transporting on this expedition. On this occasion among the Red Mangrove we could see Gray Mangrove, also called Button Mangrove or Buttonwood.
Its fruit is dark red and round. It was important to document this species, since we do not have as many photographs in our digital library.
Conocarpus erectus is a tree highly branched, producing a leafy crown with gray branches and a central stem that can measure up to 1 m in diameter. It is widely distributed in the Antilles, from Mexico throughout the Atlantic and on the Pacific side from northern Mexico to northeastern Peru.
Taxonomy:
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Order | Myrtales |
| Family | Combretaceae |
| Genus | Conocarpus |
| Species | Conocarpus erectus |
Botanical description:
| Leaves | Lanceolate 3 to 8 cm long by 1 to 3 cm wide. |
| Flower / Inflorescence | In the form of panicles that measure from 5 to 10 cm and flowers organized in balloon-shaped capitula of 2 to 3 cm in diameter with ovate bracts and acuminate apex. |
| Fruits | Flattened with two tiled wings in a structure similar to a 10 to 12 mm brown cone. |
References
www.lifeder.com/mangle-botoncillo/
Written by Vivian Hurtado & Roxana Leal
Identified Species by Victor Mendoza
Posted November 11, 2021
