Metrosideros rugosa
Encyclopedia
Metrosideros rugosa is a tree
of the myrtle
family which is endemic to the island of Oahu
in the Hawaiian Islands
. It is closely related to the widespread and highly variable ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha
), found throughout the islands. Lehua papa, however, is restricted to a narrow habitat range at the summits of very wet, windswept ridges and cliffs in the Koolau mountains
. It is distinguished from M. polymorpha by having the upper surface of the leaves with the veins deeply indented, and the leaf margins partly rolled (the latter is also found in some M. polymorpha varieties). It is also of rather distinctive appearance, with a compact shape suited to its windy habitats.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
of the myrtle
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
family which is endemic to the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. It is closely related to the widespread and highly variable ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha
Metrosideros polymorpha
The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
), found throughout the islands. Lehua papa, however, is restricted to a narrow habitat range at the summits of very wet, windswept ridges and cliffs in the Koolau mountains
Koolau Range
Koolau Range is a name given to the fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It is not a mountain range in the normal sense, because it was formed as a single mountain called Koolau Volcano...
. It is distinguished from M. polymorpha by having the upper surface of the leaves with the veins deeply indented, and the leaf margins partly rolled (the latter is also found in some M. polymorpha varieties). It is also of rather distinctive appearance, with a compact shape suited to its windy habitats.