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KNOWLEDGE BASE

The mangrove species of East Africa

Nine true mangrove species occur along the East African coast; four dominate the Lamu map.

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Intermediate 2 min read speciesecologyKenyaidentification

Nine true mangrove species are usually listed for the Kenyan coast. They differ in roots, leaves and the zone they prefer.

Species How to recognise it Usual zone
Rhizophora mucronata Tall stilt roots, long pencil-like seedlings Middle, regularly flooded
Avicennia marina Pencil roots rising from the mud, silvery leaf undersides Seaward fringe and drier flats
Ceriops tagal Small, many-stemmed, buttressed base Inner, drier zone
Sonneratia alba Cone-shaped breathing roots, round leaves Open seaward fringe
Bruguiera gymnorhiza Knee roots, large buttress Inner zone
Xylocarpus granatum Large buttresses, round woody fruit Inner, creek edges
Lumnitzera racemosa Small tree with white flowers Landward edge
Heritiera littoralis Large, ridged fruit Landward edge
Pemphis acidula Shrub on rocky shores Rocky, coral coasts

Atlas names four in its formation classes (Rhizophora, Avicennia, Ceriops and Sonneratia) because those are the ones the Lamu mapping team could separate from the air.

Why species matter. Rhizophora is the traditional building-pole species and is cut most; Avicennia tolerates the most salt and often recolonises damaged ground; Ceriops is sought for firewood and tannin.

Limits. Species lists vary slightly between authors; the table is a field guide summary, not a taxonomic authority.

Related reading

The Lamu seascape

Lamu has Kenya's largest continuous mangrove forest and is the best-mapped area in Atlas.

Mangrove zonation: why different species grow in bands

Tide, salt and mud decide which mangrove species grows where, so forests form bands from sea to land.

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