Reproductive Phenology of True Mangrove Species in Pichavaram Mangrove Forests, Tamilnadu, India - A Comparative account

The target of this study was to analyse various phonological characteristics and reproductive biology of mangroves in Pichavaram for developing a data bank which could be of help to forest managers in planning for regeneration of species in the forest. We collected data on number of days taken by species to flower and to produce mature propagules/seeds. We also recorded all phenophases of each species and maturity characteristic of mangrove seeds in Pichavaram forest blocks. Storage life of seeds materials for various mangrove species was also tested with the help of mist chamber design. Excoecaria agallocha and Acanthus ilicifolius take only 2-3 months to produce mature hypocotyls whereas Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera cylindrica and Xylocarpus mekongensis complete these phases between 4 and 6 months. 30 % of seeds of Rhizophora apiculata and Ceriops decandra germinated after a storage period of up to 45 days showing higher viability than other species. However, fresh seeds of a majority of mangrove species exhibited more than 65-94 % germination. Proper identification of period of collection, maturity characteristics and germination timings will aid in better regeneration of mangroves in Pichavaram

Keywords:

Germination , Mangrove , Phenology , Pichavaram , Seeds