More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Myrtles, Evening Primroses and Allies of Zihuatanejo
ORDER MYRTALES
Green Buttonwood
Conocarpus erectus
Flowers by Colour
-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)
-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)
-Myrtles, Evening Primroses, and Allies (Order Myrtales)
-Bushwillow Family (Family Combretaceae)
-Genus Conocarpus
-Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)
The Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) is a hardy, evergreen species native to the coastal regions of Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Often considered a "mangrove associate," it typically grows as a low-branching, multi-trunked shrub or a medium-sized tree that can reach heights of 30 to 50 feet. It is characterized by thick, leathery, dark green leaves that are simple and oblong, featuring specialized salt glands at the base to help the plant thrive in brackish environments. The tree produces inconspicuous greenish flowers in dense, round heads that bloom throughout the year, eventually developing into purple-brown, cone-like fruits that resemble small wooden buttons.
Description
• Conocarpus erectus, commonly known as buttonwood or button mangrove, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Combretaceae. It has leathery, oval to elliptic leaves, often with two small glands near the base of the leaf blade. Its tiny flowers grow in dense, rounded clusters that develop into distinctive button-like fruiting heads. The bark is grey-brown and may become fissured with age. The species includes green-leaved forms and a silvery-leaved variety known as silver buttonwood.
Range
• Conocarpus erectus is native to tropical and subtropical coastal regions of the Americas, including Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of South America. It also occurs naturally along the Atlantic coast of Africa. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• Buttonwood commonly grows in coastal scrub, mangrove margins, tidal flats, estuaries, and sandy or rocky shorelines. It tolerates salt spray, saline soils, and seasonal drought, making it well adapted to exposed coastal environments.
