Lumnitzera


Lumnitzera is an Indo-West Pacific mangrove genus in the family Combretaceae. An English common name is black mangrove. Lumnitzera, named after the German botanist, Stephan Lumnitzer, occurs in mangroves from East Africa to the Western Pacific, and northern Australia.
The genus has two species of similar vegetative appearance but with differing flower colour. Lumnitzera littorea has red flowers whereas Lumnitzera racemosa has white flowers. Both species have flat and spoon-shaped leaves with emarginate tips. L. racemosa dominates in the western part of the range and L. littorea dominates in the east. Hybrids occur within the zone of overlap.
Three genera of the tropical woody family Combretaceae, Laguncularia, Conocarpus, and Lumnitzera, are found in mangroves but Lumnitzera is the only one to occur in the Indo-West Pacific mangroves, including Australia.

List of species

Current accepted species are:
  • Lumnitzera littorea
  • Lumnitzera racemosa
  • Lumnitzera × rosea
There have been a number of taxa that possessed the Lumnitzera genus that are now unplaced or assigned to other taxa:
  • Lumnitzera caesia Spreng., unplaced
  • Lumnitzera capitata Spreng., synonym of Platostoma hispidum A.J.Paton
  • Lumnitzera carnosa Spreng., synonym of Ocimum carnosum Link & Otto ex Benth.
  • Lumnitzera coccinea Wight & Arn., synonym of Lumnitzera littorea Voigt
  • Lumnitzera densiflora Spreng., synonym of Isodon rugosus Codd
  • Lumnitzera fastigiata Spreng., synonym of Salvia plebeia R.Br.
  • Lumnitzera lutea C.Presl, synonym of Lumnitzera racemosa var. lutea Exell
  • Lumnitzera montana F.Muell., synonym of Macropteranthes montana F.Muell. ex Benth.
  • Lumnitzera moschata Spreng., synonym of Basilicum polystachyon Moench
  • Lumnitzera pedicellata C.Presl, synonym of Lumnitzera littorea Voigt
  • Lumnitzera pentandra Griff., synonym of Lumnitzera littorea Voigt
  • Lumnitzera polystachyon J.Jacq. ex Spreng., synonym of Basilicum polystachyon Moench
  • Lumnitzera prostrata Spreng., synonym of Platostoma menthoides A.J.Paton
  • Lumnitzera purpurea C. Presl, synonym of Lumnitzera littorea Voigt
  • Lumnitzera rubicunda Spreng., synonym of Orthosiphon rubicundus Benth.
  • Lumnitzera salvioides Spreng., synonym of Plectranthus salvioides Benth.
  • Lumnitzera tenuiflora Spreng., synonym of Ocimum tenuiflorum L.
  • Lumnitzera virgata Spreng., synonym of Orthosiphon rubicundus var. ''rubicundus''