Common Name:

General Information

Sonneratia caseolaris is an evergreen tree with a columnar crown; it can grow 5 - 20 metres tall[]. The tree is surrounded by pencil-like pneumatophores (vertical roots arising from shallow, horizontal roots) - these can vary in size, usually from 10 - 60cm tall but sizes of up to 2 metres or more have been seen when the tree is growing in soft mud[].
The tree is valued for its timber, which has a wide range of uses. It is also a very important tree in the coastal swamp community, helping to protect the soil from erosion and providing an important habitat for wildlife.
This species is common through most of its range, but there are increasing threats to mangrove swamps in general, mainly from human activities. Consequently, the tree has been classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - S. China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia, Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Coastal mangrove communities, tidal creeks, in muddy soil[]. Less salt parts of mangrove-forests on a deeply muddy soil, never on coral-banks, often along tidal creeks with slow-moving water and ascending these as far as the flood mounts[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Moths, bats, birds
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of coastal areas in the tropics. It grows best where the mean annual minimum and maximum temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, though it tolerates 10 - 38°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 1,500 - 2,500mm, tolerating 1,000 - 3,000mm, and succeeds in areas with no dry season as well as those with a dry season.
Prefers a sunny position[]. Prefers a heavy soil, but tolerates most soil types[]. Grows in areas that are inundated by salt water at high tides. Prefers a pH in the range 6.7 - 7.3, but tolerates 6.5 - 7.5[]. Plants are tolerant of strong, salt-laden winds.
The flowers are nocturnal, opening in the evening and closing in the early morning[].

Edible Uses

Young berries - raw or cooked[, ]. They can be eaten as a fruit, or cooked as a vegetable[]. A sour flavour[]. A cheese-like flavour[].
The fruits are a source of pectin[].

Young leaves - raw[].

Medicinal

The plant is said to be haemostatic[]. It is a folk remedy for sprains, swellings, and worms[].

The old fruit walls are used as a treatment for worms[]. Half-ripe fruits are a treatment for coughs[].
The fruits are used to make poultices[].

The pounded leaves are used as a treatment for haematuria and smallpox[].
The leaves are crushed, mixed with salt and applied as a poultice onto cuts and bruises[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A very important tree in the coastal swamp community, helping to protect the soil from erosion and providing an important habitat for wildlife[].
A fast-growing, pioneering species that colonizes newly formed mudflats and can expand rapidly in number, especially in optimum conditions of low salinity[].

Other Uses

The pneumatophores (vertical roots rising above ground) are used as floats for fish nets and, being corky in texture, are employed in the manufacture of inner soles for shoes and can be used as a substitute for cork or pith[]. The roots are boiled before being used[].

The bark is a source of tannins[].

The heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate, the sapwood light greyish brown and 3 - 8cm thick[]. When wet or under varnish, the heartwood of old mature trees looks almost black. The grain is straight or very slightly crossed; the texture fine, very homogeneous, smooth, but not glossy; it has a distinct salty taste and a fishy or swampy odour, especially when fresh[]. The wood is moderately hard and moderately heavy to heavy[]. It is easy to work; lasts well in the ground and even the sapwood is rarely attacked by insects; the heartwood is said to resist teredos very well[]. The wood contains a small amount of salt, making the use of copper nails and screws necessary.
It is used for piles, posts, poles, railway ties, paving blocks; ship, bridge, and wharf building; general strong construction; doors; siding, sheathing, ceiling, flooring, and all kinds of interior finish; ship planking and decking; furniture and cabinetwork; and musical instruments[].
The wood is used for fuel, but only when better woods are not available[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a low viability of less than three months[].

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