Naio

''Myoporum sandwicense'', commonly known as ''naio'', bastard sandalwood or false sandalwood is a species of flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is a tree or shrub highly variable in its form, the size and shape of its leaves, in the number of flowers in a group and in the shape of its fruit. It is native to the Hawaiian Islands and the island of ʻEua in Tonga.

Description

''Myoporum sandwicense'' grows as either a small tree, large tree, or dwarf shrub, depending on the elevation and conditions. As a small tree, it reaches a height of with a trunk diameter of . The largest naio have a height of and a trunk diameter of . At the tree line, naio grows as a shrub. The bark on older specimens is often dark, rough and furrowed. The leaves are arranged alternately, often crowded near the ends of the stems, mostly long, wide, elliptic to lance-shaped and with a distinct mid-vein on the lower surface.

Flowers are present all year and are arranged in groups of 2 to 6 in leaf axils on stalks long. They are a tubular bell shape with a fragrant odor and there are 5 lance-shaped sepals and 5 petals forming the tube. The tube is generally white or pink with darker blotches at the base of the lobes and the tube is usually long with lobes about the same length. The fruit is a waxy white drupe that is in diameter, juicy, and bitter to taste. The fruit usually dry out and remain attached to the branch.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described as ''Polycoelium sandwicense'' by Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle in 1847. In 1862 Asa Gray renamed the species ''Myoporum sandwicense'' in ''Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences''. The specific epithet ''sandwicense'' refers to the Sandwich Islands, the name given by James Cook to the Hawaiian Islands, where the type specimen was collected.

There are two subspecies:
*''Myoporum sandwicense'' A.Gray subsp. ''sandwicense'' which occurs on all the Hawaiian Islands and has fruit which is oval to almost spherical;
*''Myoporum sandwicense'' subsp. ''lanaiensis'' ( G.L.Webster) Chinnock which is only found on Lanai and has fruit which is cone-shaped to lens-shaped.

In 1951 Grady Webster included a form found in the Cook Islands as ''Myoporum sandwicense'' subsp. ''wilderi'' but it is now known as ''Myoporum wilderi'' Skottsb.

Some sources describe varieties including ''degeneri'' Webster, ''fauriei'' (Levl.) Kraenzlin, ''st.-johnii'' Webster, and ''stellatum'' Webster. In addition, a prostrate, shrubby variety known as ''naio papa'' ("flat ''naio''") grows only at South Point on the island of Hawaii and is characterized by its similarities to creeping shrubs.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of ''M. sandwicense'' in the United States is limited to the state of Hawaii. Within the state, it is found on all of the major islands at elevations from sea level to . ''Naio'' can be found in a variety of habitats, including low shrublands, dry forests, mesic forests, and wet forests, but is most common in subalpine shrublands.

Uses

Indigenous uses

The finely-textured wood of ''M. sandwicense'' is hard and has a specific gravity of 0.55. Native Hawaiians, who called the wood ''aaka'', used it to make ''manu'' (bow and stern
ornamental end pieces) and ''pale'' (gunwales) for ''waa'' (outrigger canoes), ''pou'' (house posts), ''haha ka upena'' (fishing net spacers), and ''lamalama'' (long-burning torches for night fishing). The oily wood was also used as a substitute for ''iliahi'' (''Santalum'' spp.) due to the similarity in smell when burned.

Horticulture

''M. sandwicense'' can be cultivated using seeds separated from the fruit - the average germination time varies by reports but is most commonly noted as taking between six and eighteen months. Propagation by cuttings and air layering is also possible.

Other uses

For a short time in the 19th century after most ''Iliahi'' ''(Santalum freycinetianum)'' had been harvested, ''naio'' was exported to China, where it was made into incense and burned in Joss houses. ''See also Thrum's Hawaiian Annual''

References

External links

*
''Myoporum sandwicense'' (naio) information
from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)
''Myoporum sandwicense'' (naio) images
from Forest & Kim Starr

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3331467

sandwicense
Flora of Hawaii
Trees of Hawaii
Biota of Hawaii (island)
Biota of Kauai
Biota of Maui
Biota of Molokai
Biota of Oahu
Flora of Tonga
Plants described in 1847
Taxa named by Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle