Myoporum stellatum

Description:

[syn. Myoporum sandwicense var. stellatum]Naio or Bastard sandalwoodMyoporaceae or Scrophulariaceae (Figwort family)Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Oahu only)EndangeredBarbers Point, OahuCloseup of flowers, fruit & leaves:www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4766551960/in/photostream/Once a dominant shrub of the coastal Ewa coralline plain on southwest Oahu, this rare endemic shrub is mainly restricted to relict patches in its severely altered environment as a result of human encroachment.Additionally, this species is found one location in the south Waianae Mountains.Early Hawaiians used the wood of naio (aaka). The larger branches and trunks for posts, rafters and thatching poles or purlins in homes (hale) and for netting needles or shuttles.EtymologyThe generic name Myoporum is derived from the Greek myo, close, and poros, pore in reference to the close appearance of the leaf glands of these plants.The specific epithet stellatum is from the Latin stellata, star, in reference to tiny star-shaped, or stellate, hairs on the leaves.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Myoporum_stellatum