Psydrax odorata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Psydrax odorata |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Psydrax
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| Species: |
odorata
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Psydrax odorata, also known as alaheʻe in Hawaiian, is a type of flowering shrub or small tree. It belongs to the coffee family, called Rubiaceae. You can find this plant growing naturally in the Pacific Islands, New Guinea, and Australia.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant can grow to be about 6 to 30 feet (2 to 9 meters) tall. It spreads out about 3 to 7 feet (1 to 2 meters) wide. The main trunk can be up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) thick.
The leaves of the alaheʻe are shiny and green. They are shaped like an oval and can be up to 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) long. The fruits are small and round, about 3/8 inch (1 centimeter) wide, and turn black when they are ripe.
Plant Life and Animals
The fruits of the alaheʻe plant have many seeds inside them. These seeds are often eaten or damaged by the larvae (young forms) of a tiny moth. This moth is called Alucita objurgatella, and it belongs to a group known as many-plumed moths.
Where It Grows
You can find Psydrax odorata in different places. It grows in dry areas with shrubs and in forests that can be dry or a bit moist. It likes to grow at heights up to 2,700 feet (820 meters) above sea level.
How People Used It
Long ago, the Native Hawaiians used the wood from the alaheʻe tree. This wood is very hard and strong. They used it to make special tools like koʻi alaheʻe. These were adzes, which are tools similar to an axe, used for cutting softer woods like Erythrina sandwicensis.
They also made ʻōʻō, which were digging sticks for farming. Short spears, called ʻo, were also crafted from this strong wood. Besides tools, the leaves of the alaheʻe plant were used to make a black dye.
See also
In Spanish: Psydrax odorata para niños
