Sophora chrysophylla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sophora chrysophylla |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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S. chrysophylla
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| Sophora chrysophylla (Salisb.) Seem.
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Edwardsia chrysophylla Salisb. |
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Sophora chrysophylla, also known as Māmane in Hawaiian, is a special flowering plant. It belongs to the pea and bean family, called Fabaceae. This plant is found only in Hawaii, meaning it is endemic there.
Māmane can look very different depending on where it grows. It can be a small shrub or a tall tree. Some trees can grow up to 15 meters (about 49 feet) high! In winter and spring, you can see its bright yellow flowers.
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What is Māmane Like?
Māmane trees have branches that are golden-brown and have ridges. Their leaves are made up of 6 to 10 pairs of smaller leaflets. Each leaflet is about 0.7 to 5 cm (0.3 to 2 inches) long. They can be smooth or have tiny gray or yellow hairs on their underside.
The name chrysophylla comes from Greek words. Chrysós means "gold," and phyllos means "leaf." This describes the plant's golden look.
Māmane flowers grow in clusters at the ends of branches or where leaves meet the stem. The yellow petals of the flower are about 11.5 to 21 mm (0.45 to 0.83 inches) long.
The tree blooms during winter and spring, with the most flowers appearing in mid-spring. Māmane wood is very strong and lasts a long time. Its seedpods stay on the tree for most of the year. These pods are twisted and brown, with four wings. They can be 2 to 16 cm (0.8 to 6.3 inches) long. The pods squeeze tightly around the yellow-orange or brown seeds inside. These seeds are about 6.35 mm (0.25 inches) long.
Māmane is a perennial plant, which means it lives for many years.
Where Does Māmane Live?
Māmane is special because it only grows in Hawaii. You can find it on most of the main Hawaiian Islands, except Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe.
It lives in many different places, from low shrublands to dry forests and even some rainforests. Māmane can grow from 30 to 2,900 meters (about 98 to 9,514 feet) high. It stops growing when it reaches the tree line, where it's too cold for trees.
Māmane grows best and tallest in mountain dry forests. These are found at elevations of 1,220 to 2,440 meters (about 4,000 to 8,000 feet). Māmane often grows with another plant called naio (Myoporum sandwicense). Together, they form a special dry woodland area in places like East Maui and the Island of Hawaiʻi.
How People Use Māmane
Long ago, the Native Hawaiians used the strong wood of the māmane tree for many things. They used it to make pou (house posts) and kaola (beams) for their homes. They also crafted ʻōʻō (digging sticks), spears, and kope (spades).
Māmane wood was also used for papa hōlua (sled) runners and tools for scraping Touchardia latifolia fibers. Even handles for ʻau koʻi (adzes) were made from māmane. It was also good wahie (firewood). Later, Cattle ranchers used the wood for fence posts.
In traditional herbal medicine, māmane flowers were used as an astringent. This means they could help tighten body tissues. The wood was also important in religious rituals. It was believed to help keep evil away. A kahuna nui (high priest) would hold a piece of māmane wood wrapped in dark cloth to show his authority.
Māmane's Role in Nature
Māmane is super important for an endangered bird called the palila (Loxioides bailleui). This bird eats almost only the young seeds of the māmane when they are ready. Palila birds also build their nests in māmane branches.
There are also Caterpillars of Cydia moths that eat māmane seeds. These caterpillars, in turn, are eaten by the palila. Both the bird and the caterpillars only eat the inside of the seed, leaving the outer shell.
For most other animals, māmane seeds are very poisonous. For example, House finches can die quickly after eating them. Māmane has two ways to protect its seeds. The outer shell of the seed has bitter-tasting compounds that are a bit toxic. This makes predators not want to eat them. If an animal does get past the shell, the inside of the seed has very deadly chemicals called quinolizidine alkaloids.
However, the palila bird and the Cydia moths have evolved to handle these poisons. The palila can eat many times the amount of poison that would kill a small mouse! Both the bird and the moths seem to know which trees are the most poisonous and avoid them. This is a great example of natural selection at work.
Cydia caterpillars can break down the toxic chemicals. The palila bird doesn't seem bothered by the smell or taste of the plant, and it throws away the seed shells because they don't have much food value. Scientists are still learning how the palila deals with these toxins.
Wild goats and sheep love to eat māmane seedpods. This is bad for the plant's population. It's not fully known if the leaves are toxic. Some caterpillars that eat the leaves have bright warning colors, which often means they are poisonous. Cattle can also harm māmane trees by stepping on their roots.
Wildfires have also destroyed some māmane trees. However, the tree is generally good at resisting fire and can grow back quickly after one. A plant disease called Botryosphaeria mamane can also make māmane trees sick, causing a problem called "witch's broom" disease. This can kill trees that are very infected.
Māmane grows well in areas where there are no sheep or goats, and where cattle numbers are low. People are now working to plant more māmane trees. This helps both the tree itself and the palila bird, bringing back the natural Hawaiian ecosystem.
See also
In Spanish: Mamane para niños
