Trochetiopsis ebenus
| Saint Helena Ebony | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Dombeyoideae |
| Genus: | Trochetiopsis |
| Species: | T. ebenus |
| Binomial name | |
| Trochetiopsis ebenus Cronk | |
Saint Helena ebony (Trochetiopsis ebenus) is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is not related to the ebony of commerce (Diospyros spp.), but is instead a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae. Saint Helena ebony is now critically endangered in the wild, being reduced to two wild individuals on a cliff, but old roots are sometimes found washed out of eroding slopes (relicts of its former abundance). These are collected on the island a used for inlay work, an important craft on Saint Helena. A related species, the dwarf ebony (Trochetiopsis melanoxylon) is now completely extinct.
It can be propagated from cuttings and many island gardens now boast a fine ebony bush. It is related to the Saint Helena redwood (Trochetiopsis erythroxylon) and a hybrid between them (Trochetiopsis x benjamini) is also now often planted. Trochetiopsis ebenus has staminodes that are dark maroon or "black".
See also
References
- Cronk, Q.C.B. (1995) The endemic Flora of St Helena. Anthony Nelson Ltd, Oswestry.
- Cairns-Wicks, R. (2003). "Trochetiopsis ebenus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
External links
-
Trochetiopsis ebenus - seed pod
-
Trochetiopsis ebenus - a flowering plant planted in a landscape