Olona (Touchardia latifolia)
Description
Touchardia latifolia, commonly known as olon- in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering shrub in the nettle family, Urticaceae. T. latifolia is endemic to Hawaii and inhabits mesic valleys and wet forests at elevations of 70-1,200 m (230-3,940 ft). Typical to many Hawaiian plants, the olon- does not have the stinging hairs of its mainland cousins. It is found on all the main Hawaiian islands except Kaho-olawe and Ni-ihau. Olon- has alternate leaves whose shape greatly varies depending upon the environment from thin lancolate to broad elliptic. The large range in leaf variation once divided T. latifolia into more than 10 species, which are currently considered to be one. Olon- typically flowers between the months of May through December The female flowers are borne on branching cymes which become fleshy orange berry-like achenes, and the male flowers are white. Olon- is easily cultivated (83% germination rate), and sprouts readily from cuttings, but does not transplant well due to its fragile roots.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Rosales
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Family: Urticaceae
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Genus: Touchardia
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