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Hawai'i alectryon

Scientific Name: Alectryon macrococcus

Family: Sapindaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Tree

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Hawai'i Alectryon (Alectryon macrococcus)

Considerations for Pets

  • Belongs to the soapberry family (Sapindaceae).

Common Names

  • Hawai'i alectryon
  • Mahoe
  • Hawai'i-plum

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Alectryon macrococcus Radlk.
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Family: Sapindaceae (soapberry family)
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • Synonyms: Mentions Alectryon macrococcus var. macrococcus and Alectryon macrococcus var. auwahiensis G. Linney as subordinate taxa. Other Alectryon species mentioned: Alectryon excelsus, Alectryon grandis, Alectryon coriaceus.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Hawai'i. Specifically mentioned are: Maui (Auwahi, Makawao Forest Reserve, Olinda), L?na?i, Moloka?i, O?ahu, Kaua?i, N.W. Islands, Kaho?olawe, and Ni?ihau.
  • Grows well in cooler, upland areas of Hawai'i.

Morphological Characteristics

  • A tree.
  • Perennial duration (lives for more than two years).

Ecological Role

  • The remaining dryland forest habitat in Hawai'i is less than 10% of what it once was. Efforts are being made for seed distribution to increase the survival of rare species like Alectryon macrococcus var. auwahiensis.
  • Susceptible to the black twig borer.

Care Information

  • Avoid excessive watering, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
  • Can be grown in the garden throughout the year and tolerates cold weather and harsh minimum temperatures.

Conservation Status

  • Federally Endangered.
  • Hawai'i Natural Heritage Ranking: Critically Imperiled.

Further Information

  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i
  • University of Hawai'i Press
  • Plants of Hawaii - Forest and Kim Starr