Acanthaceae

Gray mangrove

Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh.

Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Avicennia

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Gray mangrove (Avicennia marina) — FlowerPhoto: Dylan Wishart, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (21)

Afrikaans: Witseebasboom
Arabic: قرم بحري
arz: قرم بحرى
ban: Api-api
Bangla: পেয়ারা বাইন, পেয়ারা বান, বড়ো বায়েন, সাদা বায়েন
Bulgarian: Морска авицения
Chinese: 海榄雌, 海欖雌, 海茄冬, 咸水矮让木, 海豆, 白骨壤, 阳桃叶
Czech: Kolíkovník mořský
English: Gray mangrove
French: Palétuvier blanc, Palétuvier gris
Hebrew: אביצניה ימית
Indonesian: Api-api putih, Api-api abang, Sia-sia putih
Italian: Mangrovia grigia.
Japanese: ヒルギダマシ
Malagasy: Mosotry, Afiafy, Hafiafy, Harongampanihy, Honko, Honkofotsy,, Honkolahy, Mantsintay
Malay: Pokok Api-api Jambu, Pokok Api-api Merah
Malayalam: ചെറിയ ഉപ്പട്ടി, ചെറൂപ്പട്ടി
Persian: حرا
Russian: Авиценния морская, Чёрный мангр
Thai: แสมทะเล
Vietnamese: Mắm ổi

Synonyms

Sceura marina Forssk.

Flowers

In flower: November to June (from 408 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Dylan Wishart, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Meng-Chi Hung, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Aravinth, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Chris Clarke, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Saryu Mae 前朝琉, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: elawrey, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Mark Clarke, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Oliver S., CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

More in Avicennia

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.