Appearance & recognition
Tancang has leathery opposite leaves, knee roots and reddish flower calyces. A seed begins growing while still attached to the parent, producing a long cigar-shaped propagule. That structure is a young plant, not merely an elongated fruit. Its knee roots contrast with the arching support roots of Rhizophora apiculata.
Sources & references · 1
National Parks Board Singapore · Bruguiera gymnorhiza — Flora & Fauna WebLife in the ecosystem
It grows in tidal mangrove landscapes and has flower-pollination relationships with birds. Wood and tannin uses are documented, but mangrove protection depends on the whole tidal habitat. Vegetation behind a coastline supports more than timber: living roots, seedlings and canopy form parts of the estuarine ecosystem. Older sources often spell the name Bruguiera gymnorrhiza; the accepted spelling here is gymnorhiza.
Sources & references · 1
National Parks Board Singapore · Bruguiera gymnorhiza — Flora & Fauna WebConnections with animals
Research from Sabah’s Klias Peninsula lists this species among preferred food plants of proboscis monkeys. The reviewed passage does not identify a specific plant part.
