''Alectryon macrococcus'', known as ''Alaalahua'' or ''Māhoe'' in Hawaiian, is a species of

flowering A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the

soapberry Soapberry is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * Plants in the genus ''Sapindus'', native to warm temperate to tropical regions in both the Old World and the New World. The berries of these plants contain a natural, low-sudsing de ...

family,

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples include horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The Sapindaceae occur in tempera ...

, that is endemic to Hawaii. ''Alectryon macrococcus'' var. ''auwahiensis'' has been found growing naturally only (endemic) in Maui, where it grows in Hawaiian tropical dry forests on the south slope of Haleakalā at elevations of . It is threatened by habitat loss. ''Alectryon macrococcus'' var. ''macrococcus'' inhabits mesic forests at elevations of on

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

, Oahu,

Molokai Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length an ...

and western

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

. These trees can reach tall. Their leaves are each made up of oval-shaped, asymmetrical, net-veined leaflets. Variety ''auwahiensis'' has leaflets with rusty-red undersides. The fruits contain a seed with a bright red

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

. The arils are sweet-tasting and were food for

native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii ...

. The seeds also attract rats, whose consumption of them prevents the plants of this endangered species from reproducing. The black twig borer (''Xylosandrus compactus'') destroys the twigs.

References

External links

macrococcus ''Macrococcus'' is a genus of Gram-positive cocci belonging to the family Staphylococcaceae. The genus was created in 1998.Kloos, W. E., D. N. Ballard, C. G. George, J. A. Webster, R. J. Hubner, W. Ludwig, K. H. Schleifer, F. Fiedler, and K. Schu ...

Plants described in 1890 Endemic flora of Hawaii Trees of Hawaii Critically endangered plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{rosid-tree-stub