Mangroves

Teruntum bunga besar

Aegiceras floridum

IUCN: LC

Teruntum bunga besar (Aegiceras floridum) is a mangrove of the family Primulaceae recorded in the biodiversity data of PRPM Mengare.

It is one of 22 species in the group “Mangroves” recorded at the site, and one of 2 species of the family Primulaceae.

How to recognise it

Form: Shrub to small tree, 2–6 m tall, densely branched.
Roots: No special aerial roots; side roots spread through mud or sand.
Leaves: Opposite, elliptic to oblong, smaller than A. corniculatum, rounded tip, glossy green.
Flowers: Longer, fuller clusters than A. corniculatum; fragrant white to yellowish-green flowers.
Fruit & seed: Sickle-shaped fruit, shorter and slimmer than A. corniculatum, with one seed.

Did you know?

It differs from A. corniculatum mainly in having more flowers per cluster (floridum means “flowering freely”). The fragrant flowers are an important nectar source for bees. It lives on tidal riverbanks and estuaries with soft mud.