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Conservation Status
IUCN: not evaluated
USFWS: None
Family: AMARANTHACEAE Genus: Charpentiera Species: elliptica Species Author: (Hillebr.) A. Heller Synonyms: Charpentiera obovata Gaud. var. elliptica Hillebr.
Charpentiera elliptica is a shrubby tree that grows up to 6 meters tall. Its tough and leathery leaves are elliptic or egg-shaped to lance-shaped up to 21 centimeters long. The new leaves are hairy, while the older or mature leaves are hairless and develop a distinct rib around the margin or edge. The panicles or flower clusters are usually 10 to 63 centimeters long and have one to several branches with a few, about 8 to 20, tiny flowers per branch spaced 4 to 12 millimeters apart. A bract or small leaf-like structre is always found near the bottom of the main panicle branch.
(Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R., Sohmer, S.H. 1999. Manual of Flowering Plants of Hawai'i.; Krauss, B. 1993. Plants in Hawaiian Culture.)
During specific times of the year especially when the winds were blowing good off the Na Pali or north coast of Kaua'i, early Hawaiians would toss firebrands off the cliffs as people watched from the beach or ocean below. This sport was called 'oahi. They used the wood of the papala or Charpentiera ovata tree because it was light and flammable.
(Krauss, B. 1993. Plants in Hawaiian Culture.; Pukui, M.K., Elbert, S.H. 1986. Hawaiian Dictionary.)
Papala or Charpentiera elliptica is endemic to Kaua'i. It is a common tree only found in the dense mesic forests of Koke'e at 250 to 1,250 meters elevations.
(Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i.)
The name papala, meaning firebrand, refers to the famous Kaua'i sport of tossing burning pieces of wood of any of the Charpentiera species to create a sort of fireworks display. (Pukui, M.K., Elbert, S.H. 1986. Hawaiian Dictionary.)
We currently have 41 herbarium specimens for Charpentiera elliptica in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
