Pouteria sandwicensis
Encyclopedia
Pouteria sandwicensis is a species of flowering
tree
in the sapodilla family
, Sapotaceae
, that is endemic to the main islands
of Hawaii
. Names for this species in the Hawaiian language
include Ālaa, Āulu and Ēlaa.
Ālaa inhabits dry
, coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 240–980 m (787.4–3,215.2 ft). Ālaa reaches a height of 15 m (49.2 ft) and a trunk diameter of 0.4 m (1.3 ft). The thick bark is grey and fissured, with an orange inner layer. The leaves
are alternate, thick, leathery, oblong or elliptical, and measure 6–14 cm (2.4–5.5 in) long and 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) wide. The upper surfaces of the leaves are glabrous
and shiny green, while the lower surfaces are dull and may feature bronze or reddish brown pressed hairs
. The hairs are sometimes found only on the tips of new leaves (see photo gallery below). Inflorescence
s with one to four bell-shaped flower
s are found at the bases of leaves. The fruit
, a berry
, is 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) in diameter and yellow, orange, or purplish black. Each fruit contains one to five seed
s, which are about 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in) long and yellow brown.
. Native Hawaiians
used it in house construction and to make the pale (gunwale
s) of waa (outrigger canoe
s), ōō (digging stick
s), and ihe (spear
s). The sticky, milky sap
was used as a kolū (glue) for weapon and tool handles and as kēpau (birdlime
), much like papala kepau (Pisonia
spp.).
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
tree
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...
in the sapodilla family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Sapotaceae
Sapotaceae
Sapotaceae is a family of flowering plants, belonging to order Ericales. The family includes approximately 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in approximately 65 genera . Distribution is pantropical....
, that is endemic to the main 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...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Names for this species in the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
include Ālaa, Āulu and Ēlaa.
Description
Hawaiian tropical dry forests
The Hawaiian tropical dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the leeward side of the main islands and the summits of Niihau and Kahoolawe. These forests are either seasonal or sclerophyllous. Annual rainfall is less than and...
, coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 240–980 m (787.4–3,215.2 ft). Ālaa reaches a height of 15 m (49.2 ft) and a trunk diameter of 0.4 m (1.3 ft). The thick bark is grey and fissured, with an orange inner layer. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are alternate, thick, leathery, oblong or elliptical, and measure 6–14 cm (2.4–5.5 in) long and 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) wide. The upper surfaces of the leaves are glabrous
Glabrousness
Glabrousness is the technical term for an anatomically atypical lack of hair, down, or similar structures...
and shiny green, while the lower surfaces are dull and may feature bronze or reddish brown pressed hairs
Trichome
Trichomes are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants and certain protists. These are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae.- Algal trichomes :...
. The hairs are sometimes found only on the tips of new leaves (see photo gallery below). Inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s with one to four bell-shaped flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are found at the bases of leaves. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, a berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
, is 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) in diameter and yellow, orange, or purplish black. Each fruit contains one to five seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, which are about 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in) long and yellow brown.
Uses
The wood of ālaa is yellow with black streaks, extremely hard, and close grainedWood grain
In speaking of wood the term grain refers to the alternating regions of relatively darker and lighter wood resulting from the differing growth parameters occurring in different seasons . The term is used in several ways. Perhaps most important is that in woodworking techniques...
. Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
used it in house construction and to make the pale (gunwale
Gunwale
The gunwale is a nautical term describing the top edge of the side of a boat.Wale is the same word as the skin injury, a wheal, which, too, forms a ridge. Originally the gunwale was the "Gun ridge" on a sailing warship. This represented the strengthening wale or structural band added to the design...
s) of waa (outrigger canoe
Outrigger canoe
The outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull...
s), ōō (digging stick
Digging stick
In archaeology and anthropology a digging stick is the term given to a variety of wooden implements used primarily by subsistence-based cultures to dig out underground food such as roots and tubers or burrowing animals and anthills...
s), and ihe (spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s). The sticky, milky sap
Plant sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. It transports water and nutrients throughout the plant....
was used as a kolū (glue) for weapon and tool handles and as kēpau (birdlime
Birdlime
Birdlime is an adhesive substance used in trapping birds. It is spread on a branch or twig, upon which a bird may land and be caught. Its use is illegal in many jurisdictions....
), much like papala kepau (Pisonia
Pisonia
Pisonia is a genus of flowering plants in the four o'clock flower family, Nyctaginaceae. It was named for Dutch physician and naturalist Willem Piso . Certain species in this genus are known as Catchbirdtrees because their sticky seeds reportedly trap small birds...
spp.).