Cassine orientalis

Cassine orientalis
Young Cassine orientalis tree on Reunion island
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Celastrales
Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Cassine
Species: C. orientalis
Binomial name
Cassine orientalis
L.

Cassine orientalis (known locally as "Bois d'Olive") is a tall canopy tree endemic to the Mascarene islands of Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues.

In its native islands the tree has been severely over-exploited for its valuable reddish wood. Adults reach up to 20 meters in height. The fruits resemble small olives, from which the local name derives.[1]

Juveniles have shiny narrow leaves with a bright red mid-rib and smooth edges; while adult leave are wide and oval with a serrated margin.

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References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, September 15, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.