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Neotropical species of the generaRhizophora, LagunculariaandAvicenniagrow in environments of variable salinity and flooding stress. Species ofRhizophorapredominate in riverine and low-energy coastal fringe environments with continuous water movement, whileLaguncularia racemosa, and particularlyAvicennia germinans, grow in areas with stagnating water.Avicennia germinansappears to have the largest range of salinity tolerance. The osmotic characteristics ofRhizophoraspp.,L. racemosaandA. germinansin riverine and coastal environments of north-eastern Venezuela are described and correlated with edaphic and climatic factors. Mature, fully-exposed leaves were collected in humid riverine sites (San Juan River Estuary, Monagas and Sucre States), and seasonally dry coastal fringe habitats (the Unare Coastal Lagoon, and the Chimana Islands off-shore Puerto de La Cruz, Anzoátegui State). Cleaned …