Avicennia germinans

Avicennia germinans (L.) L.

Family: Acanthaceae

Common name: black mangrove

Avicennia germinans is a small tree found near the estuaries of tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. It is characterized by a complex system of aerial roots (pneumatophores) that grow upward from the substrate, allowing oxygen, which is insufficient in the soil, to reach the underground roots. The flowers are small and yellow, and the fruits are leathery, containing a single seed that begins to germinate while still attached to the parent plant (vivipary).

The genus name is dedicated to the Persian physician, philosopher, mathematician, naturalist, and physicist Avicenna (980-1037).