About

Polyscias racemosa, or false 'ohe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. As Munroidendron racemosum, the species was until recently considered to be the only species in the monotypic genus Munroidendron. With the change in classification, Munroidendron is now obsolete. Polyscias racemosa is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is very rare in the wild and some of its original habitat has been replaced by sugar cane plantations. It was thought for some time to be probably extinct, but was rediscovered a few years prior to 1967.

Using cladistic methods, phylogenetic studies of DNA have shown that the closest relative of Munroidendron racemosum is Reynoldsia sandwicensis. These two species are now known as Polyscias racemosa and Polyscias sandwicensis, respectively. They are two of the 21 species now placed in Polyscias subgenus Tetraplasandra.

Where it grows

Polyscias racemosa occurs in coastal mesic and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 120–400 m (390–1,310 ft), where it grows on exposed cliffs and ridges. Associated plant species include papala kepau (Pisonia umbellifera), ʻāwikiwiki (Canavalia galeata), ʻilima (Sida fallax), ʻōlulu (Brighamia insignis), alaheʻe (Psydrax odorata), kōpiko (Psychotria spp.), olopua (Nestegis sandwicensis), ʻahakea (Bobea timonioides), hala pepe (Pleomele aurea), and ʻālaʻa (Planchonella sandwicensis). It occurs naturally in only three locations on Kauaʻi: Nounou Mountain, the cliffs of the Nā Pali Coast, and Haʻupu Ridge near Nāwiliwili Bay.

Other Polyscias plants

Polyscias · Polyscias · Polyscias aemiliguineae · Balfour Aralia · Island Pine · Polyscias crassa · Polyscias dichroostachya · Celerywood · Baboon’s Chair · Flynn's `ohe · Ming aralia · Polyscias fulva