Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Many-branched shrubs to small trees 1–10(–15) m tall.

Stems: Stems erect to prostrate (littoral form), glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades variable in shape, elliptic or narrowly lanceolate to linear–lanceolate or ovate, 3.5–22 cm long, 0.5–4 cm wide. Apex acute to long-acuminate. Surfaces glabrous or occasionally pubescent, usually somewhat fleshy, sometimes chartaceous to coriaceous, usually drying coriaceous. Margins entire, usually serrate in young shoots or seedlings. Petioles 0.5–2.5 cm long, usually winged. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers axillary, usually 2–10 per cyme, often 1 or more abortive, pedicels terete (cylindrical) or flattened, 5–17 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx (4)5(–9)-lobed, broadly ovate to lanceolate or oblong, 1–5 mm long, glandular punctate, margins slightly scarious and glandular denticulate. Corolla slightly irregular, white, white with purplish pink splotches, or sometimes pink, campanulate to funnelform, 4.5–12 mm long, (4)5(–9)-lobed, glabrous to densely pubescent within, usually glandular punctate; nectary ring yellow or purple, at base of ovary. Stamens 5; anthers opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, cylindrical, narrowly conical to depressed-conical, 1.5–4 mm long, 2-carpellate, 4–12-celled; style simple.

Fruit: Fruit drupaceous; greenish white to pinkish or purplish; depressed–conical to lenticular; pentagonol to hexagonal or subglobose when fresh; 4–12–ribbed when dry; endocarp 2–10 mm long; 2–9 mm in diameter; bony. Seeds 1 per cell; spindle-shaped; papery when dry; 2–2.5 mm long.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Strand vegetation; dry forest; 'a'a lava; mesic to wet forest; and a dominant element of subalpine forest.

Elevation Range: 0–2,380 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

Synonyms (5)

Myoporum fauriei H.Lév. (1912)

Myoporum sandwicense subsp. st-johnii G.L.Webster (1951)

Myoporum sandwicense var. sandwicense

Myoporum st-johnii (G.L.Webster) O.Deg. & Greenwell (1956)

Polycoelium sandwicense A.DC. (1847)

Accepted Subtaxa (in Hawai'i) (2)

Myoporum sandwicense subsp. lanaiense (G.L.Webster) Chinnock

Myoporum sandwicense subsp. sandwicense

Uses and Culture

USES

Pink and white dye (flowers)
To treat nae kulou and waiopua paa, or stubborn case of asthma, ‘ākia manalo leaves (Wikstroemia spp.), naio leaf buds and leaves, the bark of ohi‘a ai (Syzygium malaccense) and hi‘aloa (‘uhaloa, Waltheria indica) tap roots, dried niu (coconut, Cocos nucifera), and kōaina kea (sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum) are pounded into a mash and the mixture is strained with ahu‘awa (Cyperus javanicus). The liquid is drunk cold for five days, twice a day. (Chun 1994:23-25). For the illness ma‘i hemo keiki o na wahine hanau nui I ke keiki (child birth of women who have had many children) hala aerial roots (Pandanus tectorius), niu, kohekohe (Eleocharis spp.), hala leaf buds, ala‘alawainui pehu stems (Peperomia spp.), ‘ihi makole (Oxalis spp.) and naio leaf buds, fruit and leaves, kukui flowers (Aleurites moluccana), noni fruits (Morinda citrifolia), and kōkea (white sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum) are pounded into a mash and strained with ‘ahu‘awa. The liquid mixture is heated. Once cool, the medicine is taken two times a day, once in the morning and again in the evening (Chun 1994: 73-74).
Wood has odor similar to sandalwood (Degener 1930:267). Used for house posts (Degener 1930:268; Krauss 1993:56). Burns well and long, used for torches (Lamb 1981:127). Wood used for fish net gauge (haha ka ‘upena) (Krauss 1993:35). In the Ethnology Collection at Bishop Museum there is a post-contact example of the wood made into a bowl.

PROPAGATION/CULTIVATION

The fruits of Myoporum sandwicense are almost round, fleshy, and about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. When ripe, they range in color from greenish white to pinkish or purplish. Large, ripe, juicy fruits contain unusual multiple seeds; smaller fruits may have no seeds.
The seeds must be removed from the fruit pulp before planting. Stratton et al recommend ripening the seeds in a plastic bag. This softens the pulp making the seeds easier to clean. After ripening, the fruit flesh can be removed by either placing the fruits in a colander or strainer under running water or breaking up the fruit by hand in a bowl of water. Discard the fruit pulp and any seeds that float since they will not germinate. Wash the remaining seeds thoroughly and dry them on a paper towel.
Myoporum sandwicense seeds should be pretreated by soaking. The seeds should be covered with water which has been heated to no more than 120 - 135 degrees F. This temperature is hot to the touch, but not boiling. The seeds should be soaked for 12 to 48 hours. If seeds are soaked for the longer periods of time, the water should be changed daily. Stratton suggests that scarifying by sanding may decrease germination time.
The treated seeds should be planted in sterile potting mix or other well-drained medium such as a mixture of 3 parts #2 perlite to 1 part Sunshine Mix #4. Keep the medium moist and place the containers in a covered, shaded location to control soil moisture and eliminate rain damage.
The shortest germination time for Myoporum sandwicense seeds is obtained with fresh seed, but it is still highly variable. Stratton says that it can vary from 1 to 18 months; NTBG says that the seeds will germinate within 6 months; Koob states that the seeds will germinate "over a fairly long period of time"; Bornhorst indicates that they germinate sporadically; Mew gives a range of 6 to 15 months; Rauch writes that germination takes about 18 months. Germination rates also vary from 10 to 70% depending on the quality of the seed. In his germination studies, Obata found that untreated seeds of Myoporum sandwicense had germination rates ranging from 5 to 30%.
Viability decreases with storage. However, if seed must be stored, air dry cleaned seed and place it in a paper bag or envelope. Place this in an airtight container with a desiccant and place it in a cool place at 25% relative humidity. (Bornhorst 1996; Koob 1998; Mew 1987; NTBG 1996; Obata 1967; Rauch 1997; Stratton 1998)
Myoporum sandwicense can be grown from 3 to 5 inch long soft or semi-hard wood cuttings. Reduce transpiration by cutting upper leaves in half. Use a mild rooting hormone (e.g. 0.05% IBA and 0.025% NAA) (Koob, email) and a well-drained rooting medium such as sand, vermiculite or perlite. Use of a mist system or humidity chamber will speed rooting. Rooting takes "many weeks." Stratton indicates that success depends on the age of the parent plant. (Bornhorst 1996; Koob 1998; Stratton 1998)
Myoporum sandwicense can be air layered using standard techniques. Remove air layer from mother plant with roots are 3 to 4 inches long. (Koob 1998) [Data from Herring, E. C., & Criley, R. A. (2003). The Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Web Site: Developing a Webbased Information Resource. HortTechnology, 13(3), 545-548. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawnprop/]