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Myrsine lessertiana
Myrsine lessertiana, the kōlea lau nui, is a species of colicwood endemic to the U.S. state of Hawaii in the family Primulaceae. It inhabits Hawaiian tropical dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 210–1,220 m (690–4,000 ft) on the main Hawaiian islands. M. lessertiana is a small to medium-sized tree, reaching a height of 18 m (59 ft) with a trunk diameter of 0.3–0.6 m (0.98–1.97 ft). Most are founded on the main Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui with flowers blooming during spring, less during the fall, and flowers that peak during winter seasons.
Myrsine lessertiana has proven to be suitable candidate for native Hawaiian forest restoration because the species thrives in wet lowland forests with low lighting and grows well at high elevations.
Native Hawaiians used kōlea lau nui wood to make papa olonā (Touchardia latifolia scrapers), kua kuku (kapa anvils), pou (house posts), kaola (beams), pale (gunwales), and manu (ornamental end pieces) for waʻa (outrigger canoes). Kōlea lau nui bark was boiled in water to make hili kōlea (a deep red dye), which was then used on kapa (bark cloth). During ancient times, Native Hawaiians also used the kōlea lau nui for canoes, used the charcoal for black dye, and its wood is still used today for crafting.
Myrsine adamsonii · African Boxwood · Myrsine andersonii · Mapou · Myrsine brownii · Myrsine bullata · Myrsine ceylanica · Cook Islands Myrsine · Myrsine collina · Leathery colicwood · Summit colicwood · Myrsine diazii
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Myrsine lessertiana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
