Flueggea neowawraea



Flueggea neowawraea, the mēhamehame, is a species of flowering tree in the family Phyllanthaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It can be found in dry, coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 250 to 1000 m. Associated plants include kukui (Aleurites moluccanus), hame (Antidesma pulvinatum), ahakea (Bobea sp.), alahee (Psydrax odorata), olopua (Nestegis sandwicensis), hao (Rauvolfia sandwicensis), and aiai (Streblus pendulinus). Mēhamehame was one of the largest trees in Hawaii, reaching a height of 30 m and trunk diameter of 2 m. Native Hawaiians used the extremely hard wood of this tree to make weaponry.

Although it had declined along with other dry and mesic forest plants, many large trees could still be found until the 1970s. At that point, the arrival of the black twig borer, (Xylosandrus compactus) caused a catastrophic collapse of the species. Today, populations only exist in the northwestern part of Kauai, the Waianae Range on Oahu, the southwestern slopes of Haleakalā on Maui, and the Big Island's Kona coast. Nearly all living individuals exist as basal shoots from older trees where the main trunk has died, or are outplanted saplings. Because of the extreme durability of the wood and its easily recognized fluted pattern, many dead trunks can still be found.