Continue down the boardwalk and you will come to a low-lying, swampy area with White Mangrove Trees (Languncularia racemosa) and Giant Leather Ferns (Acrostichum danaeifolium). These plants can be associated with brackish or fresh water habitats and have a wide range of tolerance in salinity.
The White Mangrove leaf can be identified by looking for the 2 glands on the stem near the base of the leaf as seen in the picture. The glands secrete a sweet substance presumably to attract pollinators. The flower spikes (left in the next picture) produce propaglules (right) that may sprout before they leave the tree. When White Mangroves live in an area that is often flooded they produce pneumatophores. These are special extensions of the roots that grow up from the ground that deliver oxygen to the underground roots. You may see the short bushy pneumatophores protruding from the mud as shown in the photo.
The Giant Leather Fern is at its northern range here in Florida and grows in no other state. It also ranges through Mexico, Central and South America. The fronds can grow to 12 ft long and, when reproductive, the underside of each leaflet is coated with brown spores which makes the leaf look like suede leather. The Seminoles used the fronds for thatch and made a body rub that relieved fever. Giant Leather Fern grow in freshwater wetlands but also can tolerate salt well enough to be found in mangrove swamps. Another name for the Leather Fern is Mangrove Fern.
