Colubrina oppositifolia


Colubrina oppositifolia, known as kauila in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering tree in the family Rhamnaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It can be found in dry, coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests at elevations of on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. There is also one individual remaining on Maui. Associated plants include alahee and ohe kukuluāeo.

Description

This tree reaches a height of. The trunk is coated in shredding gray-brown bark and the smaller twigs are reddish. The leaves are oppositely arranged and have pointed oval blades. The yellow-green flowers occur in clusters of 10 to 12. The fruit is a rounded capsule which is explosively dehiscent.

Uses

valued the hard wood of C. oppositifolia and that of a related species, Alphitonia ponderosa, both of which were known as kauila. Consequently, the exact usage of C. oppositifolia wood is unknown. It is believed to have been used in pou, hohoa, ie kūkū, ō, hia kā upena, ihe pahee, pololū, pāhoa, lāa pālau, leiomano, ōō, pieces for ume, and ūkēkē.

Conservation

This tree has become rare in the wild. Once a dominant species of the forests it inhabits, it has now been reduced to no more than 300 wild individuals. Threats to the species have included introduced plant species, feral pigs and goats, rats, and the black twig borer. The hard wood made it valuable to people, who overharvested it. This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.