Bruguiera × rhynchopetala N.C.Duke

Bruguiera × rhynchopetala N.C.Duke View in CoL , Australia’s Mangroves 122–123. 2006., nom. nud. Fig. 2 View Fig

Evergreen trees with columnar branched stem, flat fin-like buttresses at base. Pneumatophores knee-like, exposed, often with flaking bark. Stem with large corky lenticels, each 1–2 cm diam., more on buttresses. Stipules interpetiolar, paired, enclosing terminal bud, to 7 cm long, lanceolate, green with pinkish tinge. Leaf scars prominent on twig stems of leafy shoot, below apical shoot. Leafy shoot with 8–12 leaves in clusters. Leaf simple, opposite, bijugate; petioles 2.8–4.5 cm long; laminae elliptic, 11–21 × 4–7 cm, 2.8–3.5 times longer than wide, petiolate, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, blade glossy green. Inflorescence axillary, 1-flowered; buds generally nodding, maturing within leafy rosette; peduncles green, 6–12 × 2–3 mm. Mature flower bud placed at 1–2 internodal segments below apical shoot, 35–40 mm long, distal tip acute, green to yellow. Calyx mostly ribbed; lobes 11–12, longer than tube, slender and pointed, margins slightly raised. Petals bilaterally folded, bilobed, creamy white in immature bud, becoming orange when mature; outer margins glabrous or with sparsely distributed hairs, tuft of hairs at base; lobe tip rounded with two unequal bristles (larger one 1–1.2 mm long) near apex, rarely one. Anthers linear, in pairs, creamy pale yellow turning brown at anthesis. Style filiform, centrally placed, 3–4 lobed at tip, smooth, pale green. Fruit cryptic in calyx tube. Mature hypocotyls at 4–6 internodal segments below apical shoot, cigar-shaped, stout, slightly ribbed longitudinally, distal end blunt, green; plumule 2–3 mm long; calyx lobes slightly reflexed.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering is observed throughout the year. Peak flowering period is recorded between September and December. Mature propagules are observed throughout the year but peak during December to March.

Habitat: Bruguiera × rhynchopetala occurs in low salinity backwater zones like Vembanad lake where it co-exists with B. gymnorhiza and B. sexangula .

Distribution: This taxon occurs from Hainan Island (southern China) to the Solomon Islands and north-eastern Australia at its eastern limit, extending west to India. In India, the taxon is known only from Kerala.Knowledge of any wider distribution of this taxon at this revised range limit in the Indian region appears incomplete.

Specimens examined: Bruguiera × rhynchopetala : INDIA, Kerala, Alappuzha district, Sreekanta mangalam vicinity, near high intertidal edge of Vembanad lake , N 9.66°, E 76.36°, 21.03.2019, Prasanna Rajan 11014 ( CATH); Ernakulam district , mangroves near high intertidal edge of GoogleMaps

Vembanad lake, N 10.00°, E 76.22°, 27.03.2019, Prasanna Rajan 11019 (CATH); Kottayam district, Thalayazham vicinity, mangroves near high intertidal edge of Vembanad lake, N 9.69°, E 76.41°, 18.03.219, Prasanna Rajan 11008 (CATH); T.V. Puram vicinity, mangroves near high intertidal edge of Vembanad lake, N 9.70°, E 76.39°, 18.03.2019, Prasanna Rajan 11013 (CATH).