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Melicope cruciata

(A.Heller) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone (1989)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Sapindales Family: Rutaceae Genus: Melicope

alani, alani kuahiwi, pilo ‘ula [pilo ula]

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Small trees 3–4.5 m tall, with rather stout trunk and branches, new growth densely golden or yellowish brown hirsute–tomentose, gradually becoming glabrate.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades elliptic to oblong–elliptic or elliptic–obovate, 8–17 cm long, 4–9 cm wide. Apex obtuse or rounded, ± emarginate. Base cuneate to rounded or subtruncate. Upper surfaces glabrate except midrib hirtellous; lower surfaces densely pilose–tomentose, becoming sparsely so with age, veins with hairs persistent. Margins entire. Primary lateral veins usually 12–18 pairs, prominent on lower surface, connected by an arched vein 1–5 mm from margin, venation pinnate, lateral veins connected by an arched submarginal vein, higher order venation forming a reticulate pattern. Petioles 10–35 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers usually 5–9 in yellowish brown tomentose, axillary cymes, peduncles usually 6–12 mm long, pedicels ea. 2 mm long, bracteoles deltate, bracts small, opposite. Flowers bisexual (perfect) or functionally unisexual (and then plants monoecious). Calyx of 4 sepals; Sepals of pistillate flowers broadly deltate, ca. 3.5 mm long, minutely appressed puberulent, imbricate. Corolla of 4 petals, petals valvate. petals of pistillate flowers, margins minutely ciliate, reddish, deltate, 5.5–6 mm long, glabrous, nectary disk glabrous. Stamens rudimentary in pistillate flowers. Ovary superior (pistillate flowers), glabrous, ca. 2–2.5 mm wide; style slender, ca. 2–2.5 mm long, glabrous. ovary 4-celled and 4-lobed, carpels connate, only slightly distinct at apex to almost entirely distinct; ovules 2 per cell, hemitropous, 1 ascending; style 1, terminating in 4 short stigmatic branches.

Fruit: Capsules ca. 24–34 mm wide; carpels connate ¼ their length; 12–17 mm long; exocarp glabrous; endocarp densely and uniformly short–villous. Seeds 2 per carpel; ca. 7.5 mm long. glossy black when ripe; crustaceous; ovoid; sometimes angled from compression; embryo straight in fleshy endosperm; radicle short; cotyledons compressed; ovate; putamen brown; warty.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Probably in wet forest near bogs.

Elevation Range: 1,000–1,520 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Kaua'i Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Taxon 38: 121 (1989)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1186 (K [as Pelea cruciata]); Hartley & Stone 1989:121 (COMBNOV, Syn. P. cruciata = M. cruciata)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Kauai BISH 1909-09-01
2 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details In wet woods soil grey muddy. Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 5292 Kauai BISH 1909-09-01
3 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Montane bogs w/ mixed sedges and grasses including Rhynchospora chinensis spiciformis, R./ rugosa lavanum, Dichanthelium, Deschampsia, Maschaerina, herbs of Plantago pachyphylla, Viola, shrubs of Metrosideros, Dubautia waialealae, D. imbricata acronaea, D. laxa hirsuta, Cheirodendron dominii, Leptecophylla tameiameiae, bogs dissected w/ riparian veg. of Metrosideros-Cheirodendron forest. Near Astelia waialealae, 1000 m N of rain gage. Pigs, goats, juncus planifolius, Axonopus fissifolius, Rubus rosifolius, Andropogo. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 11695 Kauai BISH 2006-01-01
4 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details rolling hills with bogs, stream drainages, steep perimeter rim, windswept shrubland; Cheirodendron, Metrosideros, Dubautia laxa, D. paleata, Melicope clusiifolia, M. waialealae, M. kavaiensis, M. wawraeana, M. cruciata, Dicranopteris linearis, Sticherus owhyhensis, Diplopterygium pinnatum Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 8188 Kauai BISH 2000-02-01
5 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros - Cheirodendron montane wet forest. W/ Melicope clusiifolia, Myrisne wawraea, Hedyotis terminalis, Melicope feddei, Ilex anomala, Perrottetia sandwicensis, Myrsine lessertiana, Melicope wawraena, Syzygium sandwicensis, Dubautia laxa s Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 8252 Kauai BISH 2000-02-17
6 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros, Dubautia, Oreobolus, montane wet mixed communities with Rhynchospora, Campylopus, Plantago, Cheirodendron, Tetraplasandra, Myrsine, Cyanea, Trematolobelia, Lobelia, Cyrtandra, Juncus, Stenogyne, Hedyotis, Ilex, Eurya, Bidens, Melicope, Labordia, Coprosma, and various brophytes. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 149 Kauai BISH 1988-08-24
7 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros forest Cheirodendron trigynum, Leptecophylla, Broussaisia argua, Machaerina angustifolia, Coprosma elliptica, Peperomia Lycopodium venustulum, Keyserria erici, Dubautia paleata, Viola kauaiensis Preserved_Specimen Perlman, S. 24474 Kauai BISH 2015-05-21
8 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros-Cheirodendron montane wet forest w/ 8-10 m tall closed canopy. W/ Melicope clusiifolia, Myrsine wawraea, Kadua affinis, Smilax, Vaccinium, Ilex, Myrsine lessertiana, Dubautia laxa, Clermontia fauriei, Lobelia kauaensis, Cibotium and Sadleria, terrestrially domina Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 13777 Kauai BISH 2009-06-01
9 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details bog with Dubautia waialealae, Oreobolus, Dichanthelium, Dubautia imbricata, D. laxa, Lagenifera, Metrosideros polymorpha, Cheirodendron, Melicope clusiifolia, M. waialealae, M. wawraeana Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 5919 Kauai BISH 1997-01-23
10 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details montane bogs; Rhynchospora chinensis, R. rugosa, Dichanthelium, Deschampsia, Machaerina, Plantago pachyphylla, Viola, Metrosideros, Dubautia waialealae, D. imbricata, D. laxa, Cheirodendron dominii, Leptecophylla tameiameiae Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 11671 Kauai BISH 2005-12-30
11 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Metrosideros-Cheirodendron montane wet forest, bogs and riparian habitat w/ Broussaisia arguta, Dubatia paleata, Labordia waialealae, L. pumila, Polyscias waialealae, Vaccinium calycinum, Pipturus ruber, Deschampsia nubigena, Machaerina angustifolia, Melicope clusiifolia, Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 19263 Kauai BISH 2023-01-12
12 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details rolling hills, along bog margins, stream drainages, steep perimeter SW rim, windswept shrubland; Metrosideros, Cheirodendron, Dubautia laxa, D. paleata, Melicope clusiifolia, M. waialealae, M. kavaiensis, M. wawraeana, M. cruciata, Dicranopteris linearis, Sticherus owhyhensis, Diplopterygium pinnatum Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 8149 Kauai BISH 2000-01-30
13 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 10214 Kauai BISH 1911-10-01
14 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 10771 Kauai BISH 1930-12-27
15 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Faurie, A. 226 Kauai BISH 1910-03-01
16 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. 459 Kauai BISH 1987-06-19
17 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 4990 Kauai BISH 1909-09-24
18 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Heller, A.A. 2809 Kauai BISH 1895-09-01
19 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 354 Kauai BISH 1909-09-01
20 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Heller, A.A. 2809 Kauai BISH 1895-09-01
21 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 701958 Kauai BISH 1909-03-03
22 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Kauai BISH
23 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Kauai BISH 1916-10-01
24 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Kauai BISH 1916-10-01
25 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1990-05-05
26 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Heller, A.A. 2809 Kauai BISH 1895-09-01
27 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 421 Kauai BISH 1909-09-01
28 Melicope cruciata Locality redacted. Contact Bishop Museum Botany Department for details Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 5292 Kauai BISH 1909-09-01
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