Conocarpus erectus
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Conocarpus erectus, commonly called buttonwood[1] or button mangrove,[2] is a hardy species[3] of mangrove shrub in the family Combretaceae.
Taxonomy
Template:Unreferencedsect These two varieties are not accepted as distinct by all authorities:Template:Fact
- C. e. var. erectus - green buttonwood, leaves thinly hairy or hairless
- C. e. var. sericeus - silver buttonwood, leaves densely silvery-hairy
Distribution and habitat
Template:Singlesource It grows on shorelines in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and west Africa. It is generally found growing in brackish water in tidal lagoons and bays, but can grow in inland habitats, with records at up to Template:Convert altitude in Costa Rica.[4] Locations it is known from include Florida, Bermuda, the West Indies, Central and South America from Mexico to Brazil on the Atlantic Coast and Mexico to Peru on the Pacific Coast, as well as the western African coast. It was introduced in Kuwait and Western Australia due to its propensity to thrive in high temperatures and absorbing brackish water.
Description
Conocarpus erectus is usually a dense multiple-trunked shrub, Template:Convert tall, but can grow into a tree up to Template:Convert or more tall, with a trunk up to Template:Convert in diameter. The United States National Champion green buttonwood is Template:Convert tall, has a spread of Template:Convert, and a circumference of Template:Convert.[5] The bark is thick and has broad plates of thin scales which are gray to brown. The twigs are brittle, and angled or narrowly winged in cross-section. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple and oblong, Template:Convert long (rarely to Template:Convert long) and Template:Convert broad, with a tapering tip and an entire margin. They are dark green and shiny on top, and paler with fine silky hairs underneath, and have two salt glands at the base of each leaf.[4] The fruits are button-like (from which the common names derive), Template:Convert diameter, with no petals; they are produced in stalked panicles of 35-56 flowers. The fruit is a cluster of red to brown, small scaly, two-winged cone-like seeds, Template:Convert long. The seed heads burst when ripe, and the seeds are dispersed by water.Template:Fact
Uses
Template:Unreferencedsect The tree is used as an ornamental plant and in bonsai. The variety sericeus, with silvery leaves, is especially prized for landscaping. It is an important host plant for epiphytes. As a result of ornamental planting, it has become naturalized in Hawaii. It has been used extensively in landscaping in Kuwait and became the most abundant tree/shrub.
The wood is sometimes used in cabinets; it is difficult to work but takes a smooth finish. It is also used as firewood, and is reported to be good for smoking meat and fish, as it burns very hot and slowly; it also makes high quality charcoal. The bark is high in tannin, for which it has been harvested commercially.
Gallery
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Silver buttonwood
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Detail - leaves and fruit
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Silver buttonwood and palm
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Silver buttonwood and coconut palms
References
Further reading
- USDA Forest Service: Conocarpus erectus (pdf file)
- Center for Wood Anatomy Research - retrieved July 1, 2006
- Florida Forest Trees - Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) - retrieved July 1, 2006
- A Collection of Articles About Buttonwood from Issues of the Florida Bonsai Magazine - retrieved July 1, 2006
- Natives for your neighborhood - Buttonwood - retrieved July 1, 2006
- Mangroves-Florida's Coastal Trees - retrieved July 4, 2006
External links
Template:Tannin source Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control