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Cheirodendron forbesii

(Sherff) Lowry (1987)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Apiales Family: Araliaceae Genus: Cheirodendron

‘ōlapa, lapalapa

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees 3–4.5 m tall; secretory canals present in most parts.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (palmate). Opposite. Leaflets 3 (occasionally 5 on juvenile leaves), elliptic to ovate, 5–12 cm long and less than 1⁄2 as wide. Apex rounded-acute to acuminate. Base narrowly cuneate to attenuate. Blades subcoriaceous. midvein, margins, petiolule, and petiole usually tinged purple, petiolule often laterally compressed. Margins entire. Veins strongly sunken on upper surface in dried material (weakly so in juvenile leaves). Petioles base often broad and sheathing the stem. Petioles 3–7(–10 in juvenile leaves) cm long, petiolules 0.5–1.5 cm long, subterete. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in terminal, erect, oppositely branched panicles of umbellules. Inflorescences up to 10 cm long. Bracts minute, subconnate, persistent, forming an involucel below the umbellules and pseudocalyx below each flower; pedicels 3–6 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect) and functionally staminate (the plants andromonoecious). Calyx of 5 short, basally connate teeth. Corolla of 5(6) petals, buds dark purple, mature petals purple externally, greenish within, valvate, caducous, triangular to ovate or oblong, apex inflexed. Stamens usually as many as and alternate with the petals, sometimes numerous, distinct, inserted at the edge of the epigynous nectary disk; 5, pale yellow, spreading. Ovary inferior, (4)5-carpellate, carpels connate (rarely pseudomonomerous), with as many cells; ovules pendulous, 2 per cell, 1 abortive; styles (4)5, 1–1.5 mm long, connate 1⁄2–¾ their length into a conical-cylindrical stylopodium, the distinct arms divergent to spreading.

Fruit: Drupes green; ripening dark purple; exocarp fleshy; globose; or laterally compressed and orbicular or oblate to ovoid or obovoid; 3–7.5 mm long; pyrenes cartilaginous; laterally compressed; as many as styles. [Gaudichaud–Beaupé; 1830; Gray; 1854a; Heller; 1897; Herat; 1981; Hochreutiner; 1925; Krajina; 1931; Leveille; 1911a; St. John; 1959; Seemann; 1864–1868; Sherff; 1951c; 1952a; 1954a; 1962]; globose; weakly (4)5–sided (strongly ribbed when dry); 4–5 mm long (incl. styles). Seeds 1 per pyrene; embryo small.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring in wet forest.

Elevation Range: 630–900 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Kaua'i Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Pumehana Imada
  • This taxon was originally described as Cheirodendron kauaiense var. forbesii, but clearly warrants recognition at the species level. A possible hybrid involving C. forbesii and C. fauriei (Lowry 3515, BISH, F, K, MO, NY, P, US) was re

Bibliography

Name Published In: Pacific Sci. 40: 80 (1986 publ. 1987)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:227 (K)

Wagner, W. L., Herbst, D. R., & Sohmer, S. H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, Vols. 1 and 2 (No. Edn 2). University of Hawai'i and Bishop Museum Press.

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1982-08-26
2 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Lowland mesic forest. W/Dicranopteris linearis, Metrosideros polymorpha, Antidesma platyphyllum, Psychotria Preserved_Specimen Leaflet margins entire, five carpellate fruit. One of very few individuals along the trail Osaki, C.O. 62 Kauai BISH 2013-08-30
3 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Rain forest Preserved_Specimen Tree to 14 ft tall Christensen, C. 85 Kauai BISH 1976-10-23
4 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Rain forest on steep slope Preserved_Specimen 4 m tall tree; flower purplish; fruit purple Gagné, W.C. 574 Kauai BISH 1970-09-02
5 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Saturated Selaginella arbuscula basalt cliff with windswept shrubland and lowland wet forest. W/ Dicranopteris, Pneumatopteris, Machaerina angustifolia, Metrosideros spp, Cheirodendron spp, Kauda affinis, Broussaisia arguta, Freycinetia, Dubautia knudsenii & D. laxa, Perrottetia sandwicensis Preserved_Specimen tree, 5m tall, many branched, trunk and stems tan-brown, common Wood, K.R. 14268 Kauai BISH 2010-07-08
6 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Stunted rainforest Preserved_Specimen 3.3 m tree Gagné, W.C. 562 Kauai BISH 1970-08-28
7 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros -- Dicranopteris linearis wet forest. W/ bobea brevipes, Ilex anomala, Scaevola procera, Kadua affinis, Cheirodendron forbesii, Diplazium sandwichianum, Antidesma platyphylla, Pleomele aurea, Freycinetia arborea, Syzgium sandwicensis, M Preserved_Specimen Tree 8 meter ht with fruit. Perlman, S. 23673 Kauai BISH 2013-08-30
8 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Closed Metrowideros forest, 8-12 m canopy. Understory dominated by Antidesma w/mixed wet associates, Syzygium, Broussaisia, Perrottetia, Cyrtandra spp, Psychotria spp, Dubautia spp, Labordia spp, Coprosma waimeae, Cheirodendron spp, Tetraplasandra Preserved_Specimen Tree, 5 - 9 m tall, with C platyphyllum, inflorescence purple, occasional. Wood, K.R. 13265 Kauai BISH 2008-09-11
9 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Stunted forest dominated by Metrosideros and Dicranopteris on boggy substrate. Preserved_Specimen Fallen tree of nine ft. Leaves dark, glossy green above, paler below. Petiole brownish-purple. Fruit brownish-purple. Flynn, T.W. 2056 Kauai BISH 1987-02-27
10 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros -- Dicranopteris linearis wet forest. W/ bobea brevipes, Ilex anomala, Scaevola procera, Kadua affinis, Cheirodendron forbesii, Diplazium sandwichianum, Antidesma platyphylla, Pleomele aurea, Freycinetia arborea, Syzgium sandwicensis, M Preserved_Specimen Tree 8 meter ht with fruit. Perlman, S. 23674 Kauai BISH 2013-08-30
11 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Along side of stream. W/ Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima, Antidesma platyllum var. hillebrandii, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Melicope sp., Syzgium sandwicense, Cyanea fissa, C. recta, Lobelia hypoleuca, Dicranopt Preserved_Specimen Tree about 20 feet. Most fruits with five vestigial styles. Fruits drab dark purple. Leaves light green with a pungent, aromatic odor when crushed. Petioles, midribs, and outer edge of leaves magenta. Walsh, S. 740 Kauai BISH 2019-12-12
12 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Stunted native rainforest Preserved_Specimen 3.3 m tree Gagné, W.C. 563 Kauai BISH 1970-08-28
13 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details W side before plateau area on summit. Preserved_Specimen 3.5 m tree, spreading; flowers 5 stamens, 5 petals, whitish inside, purplish without; fruit purple when ripe, 5 angled. Gagné, W.C. 579 Kauai BISH 1970-09-04
14 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros -- Dicranopteris linearis wet forest. W/ bobea brevipes, Ilex anomala, Scaevola procera, Kadua affinis, Cheirodendron forbesii, Diplazium sandwichianum, Antidesma platyphylla, Pleomele aurea, Freycinetia arborea, Syzgium sandwicensis, M Preserved_Specimen Tree 10 meter ht with fruit. Perlman, S. 23675 Kauai BISH 2013-08-30
15 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details North-facing slopes above stream in ohia (Metrosideros) Lowland wet-forest. Metrosideros polymorpha, Antidesma platyphyllum, Ilex anomala, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Melicope wawraeana, Sphaeropteris cooperi, Hedychium gardnerianum, Miconia crenata, Dubautia knudsenii, Hoiokula... Preserved_Specimen A tree 10 m (or more) tall. Common throughout the back of this valley, Most trees either vegatative or in bud, inflorescences dark red, along with petioles, midribs and leaf A.M. Williams 810 Kauai BISH 2023-08-04
16 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Young. showing 5-leaved form Forbes, C.N. 270 Kauai BISH 1909-08-01
17 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Common. All with mature fruit. Herbst, D.R. 2222 Kauai BISH 1971-11-03
18 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Fruits 5-angled; 5 (five) stigmas; leaves very thin. Forbes, C.N. 266 Kauai BISH 1909-08-01
19 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Branched tree ca. 5 m. tall. Leaves medium green above, lighter below, buds purple-tinged to deep purple. Plants with a carrotlike odor when cut. Lowry II, P.P. 3515 Kauai BISH 1984-10-04
20 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5377 Kauai BISH 1984-05-28
21 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree 10 ft tall; faint purple line around leaf margin Hobdy, R.W. 28 Kauai BISH 1968-11-21
22 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 266 Kauai BISH 1909-08-01
23 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 257 Kauai BISH 1909-08-01
24 Cheirodendron forbesii Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen MacDaniels, L.H. 708 Kauai BISH 1927-02-14
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