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Wikstroemia uva-ursi var. uva-ursi
Wikstroemia uva-ursi A. Gray var. uva-ursi
Hillside False Ohelo
Thymelaeaceae (Mezereum family)
Synonym(s): Wikstroemia monticola var. occidentalis
USDA Symbol: WIUVU
USDA Native Status: HI (N)
"A densely branching, sprawling shrub, young branches densely gray to reddish brown or yellow appressed pubescent, branches slender." (bibref: 1798). "Shrubs/small trees; height of 1-3 ft., spreads laterally up to 10 ft". (webref: 47).
"In the Hawaiian Islands, endemic to Oahu, Molokai, Maui." (webref: 49).
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Margin: Entire
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Flowers Bisexual
Inflorescence: Axillary , Terminal
Fruit Type: Drupe
Leaf: "Leaves dark to grayish green on upper surface, lower surface lighter, sometimes glaucous, thick and firm, elliptic, ovate to orbicular, or obovate, (0.9-)l.7-3(-5) cm long, (0.5-)1.2-2.8(-3.8) cm wide, veins visible, glabrous, with scattered hairs, or pilose, apex rounded to acute, base cuneate to rounded, sometimes acute, rarely subcordate, petioles 1-2. 5(-4) mm long, glabrous or with scattered hairs... leaves up to 5 cm iong and 3.8 cm wide." (bibref:1798).
Flower: Flowers unisexual, on Maui sometimes perfect, yellow, glabrous, with scattered hairs, or puberulent, peduncles 1-6 mm long, hirsute, rachis clavate, conical to cylindrical, sometimes forked, 2-20(-50) mm long, hirsute, pedicels 0.8-3 mm long, glabrous, with a few hairs, or pilose; calyx tube of staminate flowers 5 .5-9(-11.5) mm long, outer lobes 1.5-4.5 mm long, 1-3.8 mm wide, inner lobes 1.2-4 mm long, l.2-3.5 mm wide; calyx tube of pistillate flowers 3.5-8 mm long, outer lobes 1.5-3.8 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, inner lobes 1.2-3.2 mm long, 1.2-3 mm wide; calyx tube of perfect flowers 5-9 mm long, outer lobes 1.6-4.5 mm long, l.5-3.7 mm wide, inner lobes l.3-4 mm long, 1.3-3.5 mm wide." (bibref:1798).
Fruit: "Fruit bright red to dark crimson, ellipsoid, 8-11 mm long 5-10 mm in diameter." (bibref:1798).
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Distribution
USA: HINative Distribution: Endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui.
Native Habitat: "Rare or scattered on dry ridges, open hillsides, ledges, windswept headlands, clay flats, 'a'll lava, coastal, and low, dry, open, alien vegetation, 3-420(-670) m, on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui, and reported from some inland localities such as lao Valley, Maui." (bibref: 1798). This taxon grows on " dry ridges, ledges, windswept headlands, open hillsides, clay flats, ‘a‘a flows, coastal, and in open, low, alien plant communities 3–420 (–670) m". (webref: 47).
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Bibliography
Bibref 1798 - Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii, Revised Edition (1999) Wagner, W.L.; Herbst, D.R.; Sohmer, S.H.Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 49 - Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (2020) Smithsonian National Museum of Natural HistoryWebref 47 - Hawaiian Ethnobotany Online Database (2020) Bishop Museum
Webref 31 - Native Plants Hawai’i (2018) University of Hawaii
Webref 28 - NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life (2018) NatureServe
Additional resources
USDA: Find Wikstroemia uva-ursi var. uva-ursi in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Wikstroemia uva-ursi var. uva-ursi in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Wikstroemia uva-ursi var. uva-ursi
Metadata
Record Modified: 2020-11-02Research By: Joseph A. Marcus