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''Labourdonnaisia calophylloides'' is a species of plant in the family
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It reaches heights of 20 meters in the wild, and it develops a very characteristic and ornamental shape, as its leaves bunch together at the very tips of each twig.
Sapotaceae
240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India
The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology)">order Ericales">family (biology)">family of flowering plants belonging to th ...
native to the islands of Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
and Réunion
Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
in the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
.Kew World Checklist of Selected plant Families/ref>
Description
It reaches heights of 20 meters in the wild, and it develops a very characteristic and ornamental shape, as its leaves bunch together at the very tips of each twig.
Distribution
It was formerly widespread across the Mascarene islands. In the wild it still occurs inMauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
at Grand Bassin, Petrin, and is locally common in the recovering forests of Monvert.
Related and similar species
It is not to be confused with its relative, the similarly named ''Labourdonnaisia glauca
''Labourdonnaisia'' is a genus of plants in the family Sapotaceae, which was described as a genus in 1841. It is native to the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, and Réunion in the western Indian Ocean.
The genus is named for Bertrand-François ...
''. ''Labourdonnaisia'' tree species can also sometimes be confused with the endemic trees of the genus ''Sideroxylon
''Sideroxylon'' is a genus of trees in the family (biology), family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus in 1753. They are collectively known as bully trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek language, Greek words ...
'' ('' S.puberulum'' and '' S.cinereum''). However ''Labourdonnaisia'' species have parallel venation on their leaves, while the ''Sideroxylon'' species have densely netted leaf-venation and strong midribs under their leaves.
References
* Sapotoideae Flora of Mauritius Flora of Réunion Plants described in 1841 Taxa named by Wenceslas Bojer {{Sapotaceae-stub