Included here is the Andaman and Nicobar islands situated in the Bay of Bengal.

Andamanese Mangrove Forest

This zone includes some of the most luxuriant mangrove forests on the planet supporting about 60 mangrove species. The most important of these are Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, B. parviflora, Ceriops tagol, R. mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Sonneratia alba and S. caseolaris, while some of the less common species are Excoecaria agollocha, and Lumnitzera littorea with its bright scarlet flowers. In the areas of transition between the mangrove forest and the inner littoral forest species such as Brownlowia lanceolata, Cerbera manghas, Derris trifoliata, Heritiera littoralis and Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea occur. While most palms are unable to tolerate the brackish conditions in mangrove swamps, two species, Nipa fructicans and Phoenix paludos, are exceptions to the rule, and can often give these swamps a very picturesque appearance, especially the former with its crown of foliage held just above the water mark.

References

Dagar, J. C. & Singh, N. T. 1999. Plant resources of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh.

Kurz, S. 1876. A sketch of the vegetation of the Nicobar Islands. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 45: 105-164.

Nayar, M. P. 1996. “Hot Spots” of endemic plants of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute. Palode, Thiruvananthapuram.

Renvoize, S. A. 1979. The origins of Indian Ocean Island floras. In: Plants and Islands. Ed. D. Bramwell. Academic Press.

Thothathri, K. 1960. Studies on the flora of the Andaman Islands. Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India, 2: 375-373.

Thothathri, K. 1962. Contribution to the flora of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India, 4: 281-296.