Abstract
Foliar epicuticular wax composition of mangrove species with natural distributions in West Africa and the Atlantic coast of South America, was studied by GC in order to investigate possible biogeographic variation. South American (Guyana) populations of Avicennia germinans were very much poorer in triterpenoids and in C 32 alkane and richer in C 28 alkane than populations from West Africa (Gabon). Shrub forms of A. germinans were richer in triterpenoids than trees. Dwarf forms of Conocarpus erectus were much poorer in triterpenoids, than shrub forms of this species. The pattern of alkane composition in Rhizophora from Guyana was unimodal, with unusually high amounts of C 28, contrasting with a bimodal pattern, with modes at C 28-C 29 and C 31, in Rhizophora from Gabon. Foliar wax of Laguncularia racemosa from Guyana contained only trace amounts of triterpenoids and a broad range of alkanes with modes at C 29 and C 33, whereas triterpenoids were present in significant amounts and most of the alkane fraction consisted of C 27 - C 29 in Gabon. These preliminary data suggest significant biogeographic variation within these taxa.
Published Version
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