| Dicotyledon | Literature for Calophyllum inophyllum
Smith, 1981; Stevens, 1980; Lorence & Wagner, 2020. |
| Calophyllaceae | Bibliography |
| Calophyllum inophyllum | |
Common name(s): Alexandrian laurel, kamani, kamanu |
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Native from eastern Africa, India, Taiwan, and Malesia to Australia and the Tuamotus.In the Hawaiian Islands, a Polynesian introduction on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Maui, Hawai`i. |
|
| Habit |
Large tree, 8–25 m tall, with milky sap, trunk massive, to 1.5 m in diameter, bark deeply fissured. |
|
| Leaves |
Leaves chartaceous or somewhat coriaceous, glabrous; blade broadly elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 11–20 cm long, 5.5–9 cm wide, lateral veins arising at a 70° angle or more from midrib, apex rounded or notched; petiole 1–3 cm long. |
|
| Flowers |
Inflorescences axillary, racemose or paniculate. Flowers on pedicel 2–6 cm long; 4 sepals, outer ones 4–6 mm long, inner ones reflexed and slightly longer, petaloid; petals 4(–8), white, 8–14 mm long; stamens yellow; ovary reddish purple after pollination, globose, style often S-shaped. |
|
| Fruit |
Fruit green ripening yellowish brown or dark brown, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 2–3(–5) cm in diameter, pulp 3–5 mm thick. |
|
| Seeds |
Seed subglobose-ellipsoid, 2–2.5 cm in diameter, testa with spongy outer layer 1–12 mm thick. |
|
| Chromosomes |
2n = 32. |
|
| Notes |
This was a highly prized tree; subject of many legends and planted around marae. Seeds yield oil of tamanu, used for general skin and cosmetic purposes. The main trunk was used for canoe construction and idols. |
|
| Contributor |
David Lorence |
