**Specific**

*Harrisonii:* In the honor of Professor J.B. Harrison, C.M.G., M.A. Director of Science and Agriculture in British (English) Guiana [32].

An important aspect to emphasize is the use of taxonomic status:

*Rhizophora x harrisonii* was proposed by Tomlinson in 1986 [18] in his book "The Botany of Mangroves." The author mentions that "in relation to *Rhizophora x harrisonii*, there is circumstantial evidence that the species is a hybrid between *Rhizophora mangle* and *Rhizophora racemosa.*"

In this regard, a study of hybridization and introgression between the species of the genus *Rhizophora* of the New World (*R. mangle, R. racemosa* and *R. harrisonii*) carried out by Cerón et al. [10], concludes that "our data support an ancient and persistent hybridization of the *Rhizophora* genus and propose a complete review of the group's systematic relationships based on finer morphological, ecological and genetic analyzes." "However, we found no genetic evidence that *R. harrisonii* is a hybrid species". Rather, *R. harrisonii* appears to represent a morphotype produced by a process of hybridization and backcrossing between *R. mangle* and *R. racemosa* [10].

## **Type specimens**

*Rhizophora harrisonii* Leechm. has a lectotype as follows: LT: Leechman s.n.; Guyana (K) LT designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined. [57].

#### **Type-protologue: distribution**

Guyana: British Guiana: Two-mile stretch of coast, in the vicinity of Georgetown [57].

## **Diagnosis**

*Rhizophora harrisonii* Leechm. are trees up to 25 m with leaves from 9–13 cm in length and from 3–8 cm in width, elliptic, acute apex, and the petiole measures are from 1–3 cm. It presents dichotomically branched inflorescences of 5–6 times or the first tricotómica branch; the branches are thin, laxas, and arranged in acute angles. The flower buds are 3–9 mm, ellipsoid, and the apex is slightly attenuated; sepals are of 8–10 mm compared to their petals of 5–6 mm; they are deciduous, abaxially glabrous, villous margins; they present 8 stamens of 4.5–5 mm and sessile and are apiculated. The fruit is 28–33 mm long with its hypocotyl from 11–40 cm, straight or curved [58].

#### **Common and vernacular names**

Mangle caballero, Mangle zapatero [7].

Common name in other countries: Mangle rojo—Venezuela [20].

#### **Distribution**

Rico-Gray [43] said that *Rhizophora harrisonii* Leechm. "is a new record for the coasts of Mexico", reporting to the species for the State of Chiapas. Recent studies by the South Border College of Tapachula Unit have located a mature forest of *Avicennia bicolor* between the municipal boundaries of Tonalá and Pijijiapan, Chiapas, in addition to finding new distribution sites for *Rhizophora harrisonii* (Tovilla, 2012 com. [44]).

**Taxonomy**

**Generic**

**Specific**

**Diagnosis**

fruit [62].

**Type specimens**

**Type protologue: distribution**

**Affinities**

**Suprageneric** Kingdom Plantae

SubKingdom Tracheobionta

 Division Magnoliophyta Class Magnoliopsida Subclass Rosidae Order Malpihiales

Superdivision Spermatophyta

Family Rhizophoraceae

*Rhizophora:* The word "rhiza" (root) and "phoros" (bearer or bearer) means in Greek "bearing

Synopsis of Mangle Species in Mexico http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76975 331

The tropicos.org ® website reports an epithet such as, ET: Jamaica (F; IET: DUKE, MICH) ET designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined. As well as a Lectotype: LT: Plumier, Nov. Pl. Amer. t. 15 (1703) LT designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined., And another related to:

the roots" and refers to its aerial (willow) roots characteristics of the genus [25].

*Mangle:* The word mangle is derived from Guarani and means "twisted tree" [1].

LT: Herb. Sloane 6: 62; (BM) LT designated by Keay, Kew Bull. 8 (1): 123 (1953) [59].

Jamaica (F; EET: DUKE, MICH) ET designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined. [59].

The trees of *Rhizophora mangle* are from 4 to 10 m in height, their shape is like a tree or and evergreen shrub. The leaves are simple, opposite, petiolate, with rounded leaf, and they are elliptic to oblong; these are agglomerated at the tips of the branches, their color is dark green in the bundle, and yellowish on the underside. The flowers are small, 2.5 cm in diameter with four speared sepals, thick and leathery. The flower has four yellowish white petals. It has two to four flowers per stem or peduncle. The fruits are presented in the form of a brown, coriaceous, hard, piriform, farinous berry. A seed is developed, rarely two, per

Flowers and propagules of *Rhizophora harrisonii*. Cistian Tovilla Hernández. Diplomado Internacional en ecología, manejo, restauración y legislación en sistemas de manglares (2017). ECOSUR.

#### **2.6.** *Rhizophora mangle* **L.**

#### **Valid name**

*Rhizophora mangle* L. Linnaeus, Carl Von. Species Plantarum 1: 443. 1753. (1 May 1753) (Sp. Pl.) [59].

#### **Synonym**

*Rhizophora americana* Nutt.

*Rhizophora mangle var. samoensis* Hochr.

*Rhizophora samoensis* (Hochr.) Salvoza.

#### **Name accepted**

Nasir and Ali in 1972 [38], consider *Rhizophora mucronata* Lam. as an accepted name (it is the name which can be used to refer to species (or subspecies, varieties, or forms) of *Rhizophora mangle* L. 2 **Ifraspecific categories** (variety).

#### **Taxonomy**

**Common and vernacular names**

**Distribution**

330 Selected Studies in Biodiversity

Mangle caballero, Mangle zapatero [7].

for *Rhizophora harrisonii* (Tovilla, 2012 com. [44]).

manejo, restauración y legislación en sistemas de manglares (2017). ECOSUR.

**2.6.** *Rhizophora mangle* **L.**

*Rhizophora americana* Nutt.

*Rhizophora mangle var. samoensis* Hochr. *Rhizophora samoensis* (Hochr.) Salvoza.

2 **Ifraspecific categories** (variety).

**Valid name**

Pl.) [59].

**Synonym**

**Name accepted**

Common name in other countries: Mangle rojo—Venezuela [20].

Rico-Gray [43] said that *Rhizophora harrisonii* Leechm. "is a new record for the coasts of Mexico", reporting to the species for the State of Chiapas. Recent studies by the South Border College of Tapachula Unit have located a mature forest of *Avicennia bicolor* between the municipal boundaries of Tonalá and Pijijiapan, Chiapas, in addition to finding new distribution sites

Flowers and propagules of *Rhizophora harrisonii*. Cistian Tovilla Hernández. Diplomado Internacional en ecología,

*Rhizophora mangle* L. Linnaeus, Carl Von. Species Plantarum 1: 443. 1753. (1 May 1753) (Sp.

Nasir and Ali in 1972 [38], consider *Rhizophora mucronata* Lam. as an accepted name (it is the name which can be used to refer to species (or subspecies, varieties, or forms) of *Rhizophora mangle* L. **Affinities**

#### **Suprageneric**

Kingdom Plantae

SubKingdom Tracheobionta

Superdivision Spermatophyta

Division Magnoliophyta

Class Magnoliopsida

Subclass Rosidae

Order Malpihiales

Family Rhizophoraceae

#### **Generic**

*Rhizophora:* The word "rhiza" (root) and "phoros" (bearer or bearer) means in Greek "bearing the roots" and refers to its aerial (willow) roots characteristics of the genus [25].

#### **Specific**

*Mangle:* The word mangle is derived from Guarani and means "twisted tree" [1].

#### **Type specimens**

The tropicos.org ® website reports an epithet such as, ET: Jamaica (F; IET: DUKE, MICH) ET designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined. As well as a Lectotype: LT: Plumier, Nov. Pl. Amer. t. 15 (1703) LT designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined., And another related to: LT: Herb. Sloane 6: 62; (BM) LT designated by Keay, Kew Bull. 8 (1): 123 (1953) [59].

#### **Type protologue: distribution**

Jamaica (F; EET: DUKE, MICH) ET designated by Barrie, Fl. Mesoamer. 4 (1): ined. [59].

#### **Diagnosis**

The trees of *Rhizophora mangle* are from 4 to 10 m in height, their shape is like a tree or and evergreen shrub. The leaves are simple, opposite, petiolate, with rounded leaf, and they are elliptic to oblong; these are agglomerated at the tips of the branches, their color is dark green in the bundle, and yellowish on the underside. The flowers are small, 2.5 cm in diameter with four speared sepals, thick and leathery. The flower has four yellowish white petals. It has two to four flowers per stem or peduncle. The fruits are presented in the form of a brown, coriaceous, hard, piriform, farinous berry. A seed is developed, rarely two, per fruit [62].

#### **Common and vernacular names**

Common names in Mexico: Candelón—Veracruz, Colima, Sinaloa; Mangle; Mangle colorado; Mangle dulce—Baja California, Oaxaca; Mangle rojo; Mangle tinto—Veracruz [17, 62]. Maya: Tabché, Tapché, Xtabché [17, 62].

identified. The results show a strong occurrence of both natural processes and human activities, which influence the loss of coverage or disturbance of the mangrove. Of these, those of anthropic origin stand out for their importance. In this category, two classes are presented: the agricultural-livestock and a pattern of occupation of land use derived from development. The first one is related to primary economic activities, that is to say agriculture (both irrigation and seasonal), livestock, and forestry. The second class encompasses land uses, such as rural areas, urban areas, industrial zones, aquaculture farms, ports, tourist infrastructure, and

Synopsis of Mangle Species in Mexico http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76975 333

The tendency of loss of coverage occurred mainly in the period from 1970 to 2005 (up to 27,557 ha), there being a drastic change from 2005 to 2015, with the last period reported from 2010 to 2015 with a loss of 1090 ha but a profit of 1296 ha. Within the categories identified by the SMMM as threats in the loss of mangrove are the areas under construction, aquaculture farms and artificial ponds, hydraulic infrastructure (canals or dams), industrial zones (oil wells, salt pans, thermoelectric plants, complexes), and communication

In Mexico, 6 of the world's 70 mangrove species (8.5%) have been reported [50] and contribute 5.4% of the total mangrove area, after Indonesia with 22.6%, Australia with 7.1%, and Brazil

Its biological importance lies in being places of rest and nesting of birds (*Egretta caerulea, E. rufescens, E. tricolor, Ardea herodias, Aramides cajaneus, Sula leucogaster, Phalacrocorax auritus, Fregata magnificens, Ajaia ajaja,* among others). They represent an important habitat for species with some risk category (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010) such as Mexican *Tamandua mexicana, Buteogallus anthracinus, Rostrhamus sociabilis, Mycteria americana, Vireo pallens, Megascops cooperi, Crocodylus acutus, C. moreletii, Ctenosaura pectinata, C quinquecarinata, C. similis, C. acan-*

The biological and ecological importance of mangroves has led CONABIO to establish 81 priority sites, determined by specialists in the subject; of these 29 are located on the Pacific coast, 27 in the Gulf of Mexico, and 25 in the Yucatan Peninsula. Each of these sites of interest has a characterization sheet with information on site location, physical characteristics, socioeco-

They are used in firewood and coal; poles for fences, piles, railway sleepers, piers, boats, telegraph poles, and electricity; and furniture, cabinets, door frames, musical instruments, handles for tools, and agricultural implements. Newborn seedlings are edible if cooked but raw seeds are poisonous. The bark contains tannin and is used to tan skins. The infusion of its cooking is drunk as a remedy for diarrhea, intestinal irritation and colic, washing or bathing to heal wounds and hemorrhoids, or in bleeding gums rinses. The flowers are rich in honey

nomic, uses, importance, impacts, and threats and transformation processes [13].

and in nectar. The honey obtained is white, clear, and of excellent quality [4].

so on [61].

routes [61].

with 7% [60].

**4. Uses**

*thura, C. hemilopha,* and *Iguana iguana* [50].

Mangle colorado, mangle (Honduras); mangle rojo (Costa Rica); mangle salado (Panama); Candelin, Mangle dulce (Mexico); mangle caballero, mangle gateador (Colombia); Mangle verdadero, mangle zapatero (Ecuador); purgua (Venezuela); apareiba, mangle zapateiro, mangle vermelho (Brazil); mang wouj (Haiti) [8].

#### **Distribution**

It is found on both coastlines of the country, from the state of Tamaulipas to the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea and from the states of Baja California and Sonora to Chiapas in the Pacific Ocean [42].

Flowers and propagules of *Rhizophora mangle*. Agustín de Jesús Basáñez Muñoz (2006). Universidad Veracruzana
