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Asiatic Mangrove
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Asiatic Mangrove
ative Photo: Prashant Awale
Common name: Asiatic Mangrove • Bengali: ভারা Bhara, গর্জন Garjan, খামু Khamu • Gujarati: કાંડેલ Kandel, કરાડ Karad • Kannada: ಕಾಂದಲೆ Kandale, ನಿಜ ಕಂಡ್ಲಾ Nija Kaandla, ಓಳ್ಳೇ ಕಂಡ್ಲಾ Olle Kaandla, ಉಪ್ಪು ಕಾಂಡ್ಲೆ Uppu Kandle • Konkani: कांदळं Kamdalam • Malayalam: പനച്ചിക്കണ്ടൽ Panachikkandal, പീക്കണ്ടൽ Peekkandal, പ്രാന്തൻ കണ്ടൽ Praanthan Kandal • Marathi: डुंबी Dumbi, कामो Kamo, कांदळ Kandal, कुरनो Kurano • Odia: ରାଇ ଗଛ Rai Gachha • Tamil: கண்டல் Kantal, பேய்க்கண்டல் Pey-K-Kantal • Telugu: అడవి పొన్న Adavi Ponna, కండ్ల Kandla, మంచి పొన్న Manci Ponna, ఉప్పు పొన్న Uppu Ponna • Tulu: ಕಾಂಡ್ಲ Kaandla Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Rhizophora mucronata    Family: Rhizophoraceae (Burma Mangrove family)

Asiatic Mangrove trees grow up to 20-25 m height. It has well developed aerial stilt roots, which allow easy recognition of this species Elliptical leaves are up to 25 cm long, 10 cm wide, but more commonly around 12 cm x 6 cm. A long point is there at the end of the leaves up to 0.8 cm, but usually breaks off. Flowers occur as axillary inflorescences and open within the leafy crown hanging downwards from a long peduncle. Flowers have a yellow-white sepal-cup with 4 thick and hard sepals. When the flower opens, the 4 white and hairy petals appear alternated with the sepals. The seeds of the mangrove Rhizophoraceae are all viviparous.
Medicinal uses: It is used as an astringent and to treat angina, haemorrhaging (extracts from the seedlings in Indochina); diarrhoea (China, Japan): diabetes, dysentery, hematuria. A poultice of the leaves are used to relief armoured fish stings. Old leaves and roots are used during childbirth (Malay). Bark is used to treat blood in the urine (Burma).

Identification credit: Prashant Awale, Shrikant Ingalhalikar, Tanay Bose Photographed near Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

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