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Corynocarpus laevigatus

J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. (1776)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Cucurbitales Family: Corynocarpaceae Genus: Corynocarpus

karakanut, New Zealand laurel

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees 3–15 m tall.

Stems: Branches stout.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades elliptic to oblong–obovate, (5–)10–15(–20) cm long, (3–)5–7 cm wide. Surfaces dark green, glossy; blades thick, coriaceous. Margins slightly revolute. Petioles 1–2 cm long. Stipules intrapetiolar, subtending the axillary bud, caducous.

Flowers: Flowers in stout, stiff panicles usually 15–20 cm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx of 5 distinct sepals; sepals suborbicular, ca. 3 mm long. Corolla of 5 petals; petals greenish yellow, obovate, ca. 5 mm long, margins minutely toothed. Stamens 5, opposite and adnate to petals at base, alternating with 5 petaloid staminodes; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Staminodes spatulate, minutely toothed. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate, 1 carpel often reduced or vestigial; ovule 1, pendulous, anatropous.

Fruit: Drupes orange; ellipsoid to ovoid; 2.5–4 cm long. Seeds 1 per fruit; endosperm absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 44

Habitat: naturalized primarily on Kaua‘i; but also on O‘ahu; Moloka‘i; and Hawai‘i.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds
Forestry

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Char. Gen. Pl.: 32 (1776)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:566 (K, O, Mo, H); Kondo s.n. BISH 47781 (Mo†, 1962)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kokee Along the road above Kumuwela Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 3382 Kauai BISH 1960-04-12
2 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kokee, Kauai Rainforest at head of Kumuwela Ridge. Preserved_Specimen Small tree. Height 4-6 m. Fruit is green to orange. Bryan Jr., E.H. Kauai BISH 1940-07-25
3 Corynocarpus laevigatus Waimea District. Near Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve/Kokee State Park boundary, Nualolo Trail. North side of trail across from Xylosma crenatum enclosure Acacia koa/Metrosideros polymorpha dominated mixed mesic forest. W/Psidium cattleianum, Coprosma, Dracaena, Dodonaea Preserved_Specimen Tree of 18 ft.; leaves dark glossy green above, glossy paler below; fruit dark glossty green ripening glossy burnt orange. Flynn, T.W. 7687 Kauai BISH 2013-10-01
4 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kalalau Valley, S rim and upper reaches, 0.4 miles E of Lookout steep slopes with low mixed mesophytic forest of Metrosideros, Pelea, Xylosma and Pleomele Preserved_Specimen spreading tree 5-6 m tall, flowers white Lorence, D.H. 5132 Kauai BISH 1987-03-20
5 Corynocarpus laevigatus Halemanu Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 2412 Kauai BISH 1909-02-14
6 Corynocarpus laevigatus Puu o Kaeha, Kawela. # trees by trail, introduced, wooded side of gulch Preserved_Specimen Fruit yellowish. St.John, H. 12535 Molokai BISH 1932-12-23
7 Corynocarpus laevigatus Ke Alohi Wai Preserved_Specimen ellipsoid fruit, 5 cm Brown, F.B.H. 1297 Oahu BISH 1924-07-01
8 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kokee HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Kauai 5/30/2015
9 Corynocarpus laevigatus Dry-mesic forest, Halemanu Preserved_Specimen Young tre, about 18 ft. tall, 4 dbh, with glossy, dark green, some-what leathery foliage; greenish flowers. Herbst, D.R. 1026 Kauai BISH 1968-04-04
10 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kokee. Just below Kalalau Lookout Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 3706 Kauai BISH 1961-08-09
11 Corynocarpus laevigatus Molokai Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 680 Molokai BISH 1915-03-31
12 Corynocarpus laevigatus Halemanu Preserved_Specimen tree, about 10'; fruit green-orange Pettee, S.E. Kauai BISH 1930-08-20
13 Corynocarpus laevigatus North Hilo District, Hakalau Forest Refuge, near Nauhi Camp. Small tree 5m tall by jeep road in pasture with scattered Metrosideros Preserved_Specimen Flowers greenish white. Anderson, S.J. Hawaii BISH 1987-04-15
14 Corynocarpus laevigatus Handsome tree from 20-40 feet high; several seen. Trail from Kalalau Lookout Preserved_Specimen ################ Alexander, A.M. 5222 Kauai BISH 1947-03-09
15 Corynocarpus laevigatus Milolii Ridge, Waimea, trail Preserved_Specimen 20' x 10 tree St.John, H. 13745 Kauai BISH 1933-12-27
16 Corynocarpus laevigatus Mountains above Kalae Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 92 Molokai BISH 1912-06-01
17 Corynocarpus laevigatus Halemanu Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 2410 Kauai BISH 1909-02-09
18 Corynocarpus laevigatus Puu o Kaeha, Kawela. 3 trees by trail, introduced wooded ride of gulch Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12535 Molokai BISH 1932-12-23
19 Corynocarpus laevigatus Waimea Drainage Basin, West side Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 798 Kauai BISH 1917-07-03
20 Corynocarpus laevigatus Waikolu Valley, head of and at E. rim Preserved_Specimen Kondo, Y. Molokai BISH 1962-06-18
21 Corynocarpus laevigatus Paaili Valley Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1977-07-19
22 Corynocarpus laevigatus Land of Makakupaia Preserved_Specimen Beardsley, J.W. Molokai BISH 1957-07-16
23 Corynocarpus laevigatus Karaka from N.Z Preserved_Specimen Beardsley, J.W. Kauai BISH 1959-08-20
24 Corynocarpus laevigatus Land of Makakupaia Preserved_Specimen Landgraf, M.F. Molokai BISH 1953-07-14
25 Corynocarpus laevigatus Knudsen's grounds, Helemanu along stream Preserved_Specimen Tree. Ht. 10m. MacDaniels, L.H. 766 Kauai BISH 1927-02-17
26 Corynocarpus laevigatus Awaawapuhi Trail Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. 258 Kauai BISH 1987-06-16
27 Corynocarpus laevigatus Halemanu Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 2413 Kauai BISH 1909-02-09
28 Corynocarpus laevigatus Waimea, Milolii Ridge moist woods, by trail Preserved_Specimen trees, largest one 20 ft. x 10 in. St.John, H. 13745 Kauai BISH 1933-12-27
29 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kumuwela Ridge, Kokee State Park Open forest of Acacia koa Preserved_Specimen Small tree 20 ft.,4in. diam., planted, introduced Little Jr., E.L. 31164 Kauai BISH 1976-08-31
30 Corynocarpus laevigatus Southern Waianae Mountains Gulch bottom off Palehua Road. Area mostly dominated by Corynocarpus and Psidium cattleianum. Preserved_Specimen Tree with main trunk straight, erect. Population ranges from 15-20 ft tall mature trees to small seedlings. No flowers or fruit seen. Taylor, P.M. 121 Oahu BISH 2009-03-09
31 Corynocarpus laevigatus Plateau at head of Kalalau Valley wet forest Preserved_Specimen tree 8 m Fosberg, F.R. 12671 Kauai BISH 1935-12-29
32 Corynocarpus laevigatus Nualolo trail; near exclosure for Xylosma W/ Myrsine, Bobea, Hedyotis terminalis, Perrottetia, Claoxylon, Tetraplasandra, Xylosma hawaiiense, Psychotria, Psidium cattleianum, Rubus argutus, Cryptocarya, Diplazium sandwicianum. Passiflora mol Preserved_Specimen Leaves dark leathery shinny green, Some yellowing and falling. Fruits yellow w/ slight odor. Forming dense thickets Tangalin, N. 402 Kauai BISH 2005-06-24
33 Corynocarpus laevigatus Mountains above Kalae Introduced on Molokai. Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 92 Molokai BISH 1912-06-01
34 Corynocarpus laevigatus Pelehua; 2 gulches off of Palehua Road near J/K/L/ split In Strawberry guava, Eucalyptus forest understory. Preserved_Specimen Several trees, largest one with trunk 124 cm diameter, 10 meters tall. Flowers white, zygomorphic, in panicles. Fruit a drupe with green to orange fruit. Beachy, J. 153 Oahu BISH 2009-05-13
35 Corynocarpus laevigatus Pelehua; 2 gulches off of Palehua Road near J/K/L/ split In Strawberry guava, Eucalyptus forest understory. Preserved_Specimen Several trees, largest one with trunk 124 cm diameter, 10 meters tall. Flowers white, zygomorphic, in panicles. Fruit a drupe with green to orange fruit. Beachy, J. 153 Oahu BISH 2009-05-13
36 Corynocarpus laevigatus Kokee Park, Kokee, Kauai Scattered all thru park in open areas and woods Preserved_Specimen Leaves dark shining green, Fruit yellow Pearsall, G.A. 442 Kauai BISH 1979-06-30
37 Corynocarpus laevigatus Vicinity forest ranger station at Kokee, transition between wet and dry forest near 3,500 feet altitude: road to camp 10 Transition between wet and dry forest. Preserved_Specimen Small tree; flowers white. Stern, W.L. 1302 Kauai BISH 1961-08-01
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