Rhizophorales

(botany) An order of dicotyledonous flowering plants, class Magnoliopsida; mostly tanniferous trees and shrubs with leaves opposite, simple, and entire, and flowers regular, mostly perfect, and variously perigynous or epigynous.

An order of flowering plants, division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae), in the subclass Rosidae of the class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The order contains a single family, Rhizophoraceae, with about 100 species widely distributed in the tropics. The plants are mostly tanniferous trees and shrubs with the leaves opposite, simple, and entire. The flowers are regular, mostly perfect, and variously perigynous or epigynous. The sepals are four or five and commonly fleshy or leathery; the petals are the same number as the sepals and likewise small and fleshy. The stamens are twice as many as the petals or sometimes more. The fruit is berrylike or rarely a capsule. Most members of the family are inland species, but the most conspicuous group are some 17 species of shoreline shrubs, the mangroves. See also Magnoliophyta; Magnoliopsida; Plant kingdom.