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Guaiacum officinale

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Zygophyllales Family: Zygophyllaceae Genus: Guaiacum

lignum vitae

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Tree to 7.5 m. tall.

Stems: Stems woody, much branched.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (even-pinnate). Opposite. Blades 5–13 cm long; leaflets 4(–6), broadly obovate to orbicular, and veiny on undersurface. Apex rounded. Surfaces glabrous. Leaflet margins entire. Petiolate. Stipules minute, deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences in axillary clusters. Flowers usually bisexual (perfect), ca 2.5 cm in diameter, slightly fragrant. Calyx of 4–5 sepals; sepals ovate or orbicular 5-7 mm. long, velvety. Corolla of 4-5 petals; petals narrowly obovate, varying from blue purple to almost white, upper surface hairy. Stamens 8–10, inserted on low disc, ±equal; filaments free, base appendaged subulate or base slightly winged, sometimes with small basal scale; anthers sagittate or cordate. Ovary superior 2-lobed.

Fruit: Fruit obcordate; ca 0.75" long; lobes often unequal; yellowish; with small mucro at apex; splitting at maturity. Seeds 1 per lobe; ellipsoid; ca 12-13 cm long; brownish; enclosed in reddish aril.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Cultivated.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 381 (1753)

Other References

Staples & Herbst 2005:575 (DESCR); Lau & Frohlich 2012:24 (NEWNAT/O, DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 724 Oahu BISH 1909-04-01
2 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. 4.25 Oahu BISH 1945-12-25
3 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Wilder, G.P. Oahu BISH 1933-06-27
4 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Growing on mauka side of Nu'upia ponds near Aikahi gate in koa haole scrub forest. Preserved_Specimen Kawelo, K. 596 Oahu BISH 2025-08-23
5 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Weber, P.W. Oahu BISH 1945-04-01
6 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1937-09-25
7 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1932-06-06
8 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. 4.25 Oahu BISH 1945-12-25
9 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. BISH
10 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Dry lowland weedy shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Weedy sapling about 3 feet tall. Corolla lobes and filaments deep lavender to white, persistent as young fruits develop. Fruits immature and green. OED 2009061201 Oahu BISH 2009-06-12
11 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details garden Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 28150 Oahu BISH 1962-11-26
12 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details full sun Preserved_Specimen Tree 6 m. Flowers indigo; with a slight, pleasant odor (at noon) Lau, J. 1131 Oahu BISH 1985-06-22
13 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Cultivated. Preserved_Specimen Large tree 23ft tall. 3 stemmed, with thickened and peeling bark. In bud, with immature to old fruit. Lobale lac scale present on tree. Haltom, J. 28 Oahu BISH 2023-01-12
14 Guaiacum officinale Honolulu HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Oahu 9/18/2002
15 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details along roadside Preserved_Specimen Small tree 2-2.5 m. tall, crown compact, rounded. Petals and filaments deep blue, fading whitish. Lorence, D.H. 5274 Kauai BISH 1987-06-12
16 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details full sun Preserved_Specimen Tree 6 m. Flowers indigo; with a slight, pleasant odor (at noon) Lau, J. 1131 Oahu BISH 1985-06-22
17 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Cultivated, no. 91 on map of campus trees and plants Preserved_Specimen Shrub with smooth bark, light-green foliage, blue flowers. Herbst, D.R. 599 Oahu BISH 1967-09-15
18 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree, 20 yrs old, about 15 feet high, much branched; flowers said to be blue and wood, hard; Alexander, A.M. 5182 Oahu BISH 1947-02-06
19 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details roadside Preserved_Specimen 4 m tree; almond shaped fruit yellow when ripe Trauernicht, C. 225 Kauai BISH 2007-10-25
20 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Cultivated from tropical America Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. 620205304 Oahu BISH 1962-02-05
21 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree, ~18'. Fruit golden yellow, opening to expose a single red seed Herbst, D.R. 9225 Oahu BISH 1990-01-21
22 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Tree ca. 18-23 ft ht, fruits heart shaped bright yellow-oran Kennedy, B. 46 Oahu BISH 1996-01-18
23 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1930-11-28
24 Guaiacum officinale Honolulu HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Oahu 11/18/2002
25 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen petals blue not fragrant. Judd Jr., A.F. 111 Oahu BISH 1928-06-09
26 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen lignum vitae Lvs bright light green Ing, G. Oahu BISH 1961-03-19
27 Guaiacum officinale Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen tree 2 m x 1 dm Woolford, H.A. Oahu BISH
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