Acanthus ilicifolius, 老鼠簕
A typical mangrove. The leaves show a serrated (簕) edge.
[ Be careful ! It pricks. ]
When conditions are favourable, they grow to a dense cluster.
At high tide, the lower leaves are completely submerged by the influx of sea water.
As such, those leaves are coated with a thin layer of brown mud as the tide recedes.
The leaves of Acanthus ilicifolius are covered with a thick cuticle which make them shiny.
The following photograph was taken from elsewhere.
Salt crystals on Acanthus leaf. Acanthus sp. (老鼠簕) is a typical coastal plant. It lives in a salty environment. Yet the plant can not tolerate (抵受) too much salt. Fortunately nature has solved its problem. On the dorsal side 背面 (the side facing sky rather than ground) of its leaves, there are many special salt glands (salt-secreting glands). These are groups of cells that remove, by secretion (分泌), any excess salts from the plant. Hence, the tiny white crystals seen on leaf surface are mainly Sodium chloride. Their similar size and random distribution correlate with the position of the salt glands. A free-hand section in the laboratory may reveal their presence. I myself tasted the salt crystals before, however, those under the age of 18, please seek advice from your guardian before any similar attempt.
[ The following photographs : Tung chung 5.2010 ]
At reproductive maturity, the plant develops a cluster of white flowers.
When the petals unfold, a purple tint is revealed.
Fruits then develop.
A new colony of Acanthus along the edge of the mudflat.
