''Charpentiera'' is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

in the family

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...

. It consists of five species

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, where they are known as ''pāpala'', and one species found only on the island of

Tubuai Tubuai or Tupuai is the main island of the Austral Island group, located south of Tahiti. In addition to Tubuai, the group of islands include Rimatara, Rurutu, Raivavae, Rapa and the uninhabited Îles Maria. They are part of the Austral Isla ...

in the

Austral Islands The Austral Islands (french: Îles Australes, officially ''Archipel des Australes;'' ty, Tuha'a Pae) are the southernmost group of islands in French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic in the South Pacific. Geographically, ...

. All species are

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 ...

s, some reaching more than in height. The genus is named for Arsène Charpentier (1781-1818), professor of pharmacy at Antwerp from 1810 to 1814 and at Cherbourg from 1814 to 1816.

Species

*''

Charpentiera australis ''Charpentiera'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Amaranthaceae. It consists of five species endemic to Hawaii, where they are known as ''pāpala'', and one species found only on the island of Tubuai in the Austral Islands. All species a ...

'' (

) *''

Charpentiera densiflora ''Charpentiera densiflora'' is a rare species of tree in the family Amaranthaceae known by the common names dense-flowered pāpala and Nā Pali Coast pāpala. It is endemic to the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where there are 300 to 400USFWSDetermin ...

'' Sohmer (

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 ...

) *''

Charpentiera elliptica ''Charpentiera elliptica'', the ellipticleaf pāpala, is an endangered species of flowering tree in the family Amaranthaceae, endemic to the island of Kauai in Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United Stat ...

'' ( Hillebr.) A.Heller (Kauai) *'' Charpentiera obovata'' Gaudich. (main islands of

) *''

Charpentiera ovata ''Charpentiera'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Amaranthaceae. It consists of five species endemic to Hawaii, where they are known as ''pāpala'', and one species found only on the island of Tubuai in the Austral Islands. All species a ...

'' Gaudich. (

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

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 ...

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 ...

island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...

) *''

Charpentiera tomentosa ''Charpentiera'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Amaranthaceae. It consists of five species endemic to Hawaii, where they are known as ''pāpala'', and one species found only on the island of Tubuai in the Austral Islands. All species a ...

'' Sohmer **''Charpentiera tomentosa'' var. ''maakuaensis'' (Oahu) **''Charpentiera tomentosa'' var. ''tomentosa'' (Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Maui, island of Hawaii)

Uses

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 ...

on the northwest coast of the island of

used lightweight ''pāpala'' branches in the art of ''ōahi''. Branches were ignited and tossed off of high sea

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s, where they were buoyed by ridge lifts and burned like

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

References

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae genera Trees of Hawaii Endemic flora of Hawaii {{tree-stub