Cylindrical Mangrove (Bruguiera cylindrica)

• Scientific Name: Bruguiera cylindrica — Cylindrical Mangrove or White-Flowered Mangrove.

• Native Home: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and northern Australia.

• Height: Typically 3–5 m, sometimes reaching 20 m.

• Lifespan: Several decades; a reliable average lifespan has not been established.

  Bruguiera cylindrica

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Uses and Harvesting

• Timber: Strong wood used for temporary construction, poles, and other local wooden products.

• Harvesting: Wood is traditionally collected for fuelwood and charcoal, while bark is used for tannin extraction. Harvesting should comply with local mangrove-protection regulations.

• Age to Harvest: No universal commercial harvest age; growth varies with tidal conditions, salinity, and site productivity.

• Products: Timber, charcoal, fuelwood, tannin, and mangrove-restoration seedlings.

  Plant Resources of South East Asia

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History and Global Production

• Traditional Use: Wood has been used for fuel and construction, and young propagules have traditionally been prepared as food in some Southeast Asian communities.

• Global Spread: Found in tropical mangrove forests from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to northern Australia. It grows on muddy tidal flats and sheltered estuaries, where its knee-shaped roots help it exchange gases in waterlogged soil.