Aegiceras corniculatum


Aegiceras corniculatum, commonly known as black mangrove, river mangrove or khalsi, is a species of shrub or tree mangrove in the primrose family, Primulaceae, with a distribution in coastal and estuarine areas ranging from India through South East Asia to southern China, New Guinea and Australia.

Description

Aegiceras corniculatum grows as a shrub or small tree up to high, though often considerably less. Its leaves are alternate, obovate, long and wide, entire, leathery and minutely dotted. Its fragrant, small, white flowers are produced as umbellate clusters of 10–30, with a peduncle up to 10 mm long and with pedicels long. The calyx is long and corolla long. The fruit is curved and cylindrical or horn-shaped, light green to pink in colour and long. It grows in mud in estuaries and tidal creeks, often at the seaward edge of the mangrove zone.
The species is of interest to many moths, including species from the genera Anarsia, Archips and Phyllocnistis, as well as the species Darna trima, Gonodontis clelia and Neurozerra conferta.

Medicinal uses

Aegiceras corniculatum extract has analgesic properties which supports a fight against diabetes. The stems of the plant contain up to seven compounds, including: 2-methoxy-3-nonylresorcinol, 5-O-ethylembelin, 2-O-acetyl-5-O-methylembelin, 3,7-dihydroxy-2,5-diundecylnaphthoquinone, 2,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxy-3,6-diundecyldibenzofuran-1,4-dione, 2,8-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-3,9-diundecyldibenzofuran-1,4-dione, and 10-hydroxy-4-O-methyl-2,11-diundecylgomphilactone.