Rauvolfia sandwicensis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rauvolfia sandwicensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Rauvolfia |
| Species: | R. sandwicensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Rauvolfia sandwicensis | |
Rauvolfia sandwicensis, the devil's-pepper,[1] also known as hao in the Hawaiian language, is a species of flowering plant in the milkweed family, Apocynaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a shrub, a small tree reaching 6 m (20 ft) in height, or, rarely, a medium-sized tree up to 12 m (39 ft) tall with a trunk diameter of 0.3 m (0.98 ft).[2] Hao inhabits coastal mesic and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 100–500 m (330–1,640 ft).[3]
The Hao is one of the few rare species of plant in Hawaiʻi along with the Antidesma pulvinatum or Hame, Mvoporum sandwicense or Naio, Reynoldsia sandwicensis or 'Ohe, Santalum paniculatum or 'Iliahi, Senna gaudichaudii or Kolomona, and Xylosma hawaiiense or Maua. Within all the Hawaiian Islands but Kaho'olawe, the Hao grows in dry- or shrub-land forests within lower elevations as the tree is part of the Dogbane or Apocynaceae family.[4] The Hao does not have any known religious or cultural significance, or usefulness as forage, food, medicine, or shelter, for the Hawaiian people.[5] Documentations have shown that the Hao trees can reside within areas of 'a'ā lava flow on Maui and the Hawaii Island or Big Island.[6]
