A History of Agriculture in India v1.c10.s5.7

v1.c10.s5.7

The root-system of mangroves is characterized by special adaptations to their environments, which are often water-logged and poorly aerated. Some species as *Rhizophora* have a system of aerial stilt roots to support the trees; others, e.g. *Bruguiera*, send up peg-like projections from their roots; still others, e.g. *Heritiera*, *Lumnitzera* and *Kandelia*, produce aerial ‘knee roots’; and yet others, e.g. *Avicennia*, have pneumatophores or breathing roots. In the Sunderbans are found ‘pure sundri’ forest (*Heritiera minor*, *H. fomes*) with dense pneumatophore growth (Fig. 16).