Xylotomic Account of Upland and Mangrove Species of Indian Rhizophoraceae with Special Remarks on Systematic, Ecological and Evolutionary Trends

The present study deals with a comparative account of wood microstructure of the upland and mangrove species of the family Rhizophoraceae from India. The mangrove species studied are Bruguiera caryophylloides B1.,B. eriopetala W.&A, B. gymnorhiza Lam., B. parviflora W.&A., Ceriops candolleana Arnott., C. roxburghiana Arnott., Kandelia rheedii W.&A., Rhizophora conjugata L., R. mucronata Lam while two upland species studied are Blepharistemma corymbosum Wall. and Carallia lucida Roxb. An identification key based on salient diagnostic features has been developed for the separation of the species of this family. The same has been supplemented with photomicrographs. The analysis of correlation coefficient between selected quantitative features of mangroves and upland species of the family Rhizophoraceae has been discussed. The quantitative wood anatomical characteristic shows some differences in ecological trends between upland and mangrove species. Inverse relationship between vessel diameter and vessel frequency and positive relationship between fibre length & fibre diameter and vulnerability & mesomorphy were observed. All the mangrove species except for Ceriops are mesic while the upland species are highly mesic.