Kauila (Colubrina oppositifolia)
Description
Colubrina oppositifolia, known as Kauila in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering tree in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It can be found in dry, coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 240-920 m (790-3,020 ft) on the islands of O-ahu (Wai-anae Range) and Hawai-i (slopes of Kohala, Hual-lai, and Mauna Loa). There is also one individual remaining on Maui. Associated plants include alahe-e (Psydrax odorata) and -ohe kukulu-e-o (Reynoldsia sandwicensis), This tree reaches a height of 5-13 m (16-43 ft). 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.
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: Rhamnaceae
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Genus: Colubrina
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