Koa
From Freepedia
| Koa | ||||||||||||||||
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| Image:Young koa.jpg A young Koa tree showing compound leaves and phyllodes | ||||||||||||||||
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| Acacia koa A.Gray |
The Koa (Acacia koa; Family Fabaceae) is a large tree endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, primarily Hawaii and Maui. Its trunk was used by the ancient Hawaiians to build dugout canoes.
The tree is somewhat unusual (typical mostly of Australian and Pacific islands acacias) in that the leaves produced early in the growth of the plant are compound leaves typical of the pea family. However, the adult koa has sickle-shaped "leaves" that are not at all compound. These are phyllodes, blades that develop as an expansion of the leaf petiole.
The koa population has suffered from grazing and logging. The reddish lumber is currently very valuable for use in furniture, flooring, paneling, and other finishings in construction and is now sourced exclusively from dead or dying trees or farms on private lands.
External links
- Photos of Acacia koa at Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project (HEAR)
- UCLA botanical garden
