Notes on Philippine mangrove species

Although the mangroves or mangals of the Island of Leyte in the Philippines are small and generally seriously damaged they are still good for botanical surprises. This contribution provides observations made during an inventory in 1996. Three species of Avicennia (A. alba Blume, A. marina (Forssk.) Vierh., and A. rumphiana Hallier f.), three species plus one hybrid of Rhizophora (Rh. apiculata Blume, Rh. mucronata Lam., Rh. stylosa Griff., and Rh. x lamarckii Montr.), and three species of Sonneratia (S. alba Sm., S. caseolaris (L.) Engl., and S. cf. ovata) were observed. Specimens with intermediate features suggest that there may be also hybrids between Rh. apiculata and Rh. mucronata as well as between Sonneratia spp. Additional observations are made on Bruguiera, Ceriops and Xylocarpus spp.