Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_claoxylon_sandwicense

Laukea

Claoxylon sandwicense

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Laukea (Claoxylon sandwicense) · whole-organism ecological reconstruction with diagnostic structures.
Laukea (Claoxylon sandwicense) · whole-organism ecological reconstruction with diagnostic structures. · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas · AI-generated reconstruction · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas community media · Primary ecological plate v1.5.3; visual and safe-area review passed · Image source

About Laukea

Laukea (Claoxylon sandwicense) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Few-branched, soft-wooded shrub or small tree 2–6 m tall with woolly young shoots.

Kauaʻi evidence

Accepted status, Kauaʻi occurrence, nativity, growth form, and names were audited against the 2026 Smithsonian checklist and linked habit source. Scientific synonyms: Claoxylon helleri Sherff; Claoxylon sandwicense var. degeneri Sherff; Claoxylon sandwicense f. glabrescens Sherff; Claoxylon sandwicense var. glabrescens (Sherff) Sherff; Claoxylon sandwicense var. hillebrandii Sherff; Claoxylon sandwicense var. magnifolium Sherff; Claoxylon sandwicense var. tomentosa Hillebr.; Claoxylon sandwicense f. tomentosum (Hillebr.) Skottsb.; Claoxylon tomentosum (Hillebr.) A. Heller.

Names and classification

Scientific name
Claoxylon sandwicense
Hawaiian names
laukea · poʻola
Other names
Claoxylon sandwicense · Laukea · poʻola · laukea (Kauaʻi) · Claoxylon helleri Sherff · Claoxylon sandwicense var. degeneri Sherff · Claoxylon sandwicense f. glabrescens Sherff · Claoxylon sandwicense var. glabrescens (Sherff) Sherff · Claoxylon sandwicense var. hillebrandii Sherff · Claoxylon sandwicense var. magnifolium Sherff · Claoxylon sandwicense var. tomentosa Hillebr. · Claoxylon sandwicense f. tomentosum (Hillebr.) Skottsb. · Claoxylon tomentosum (Hillebr.) A. Heller
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Recorded on Kauaʻi
Origin
Endemic
Conservation status
Smithsonian checklist assessment: Apparently Secure; U.S. status: No Status
Evidence date
2026-10-05
Evidence limits
Island-level occurrence is retained; finer locality is intentionally withheld

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Mesic native forest · Wet native forest
Food and resource needs
Light, water, nutrients, and suitable native-forest substrate
Reproduction
Viable flowers or seed and suitable establishment conditions; species-specific reproductive review remains open
Shelter
Suitable native vegetation structure and substrate
Growth form
Tree; Shrub

Threats and conservation

Threats
Species-specific threat review pending; no fine-location evidence is published in this card
Conservation actions
Protect native habitat and verify species-specific actions against current conservation sources
Monitoring
Taxonomic identity, population condition, recruitment, and locally documented pressures; exact locations withheld
Data gaps
Species-specific ecology and threat citations · Reproductive phenology · Fine-scale habitat information intentionally not published

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Not assessed
Seasonal description
Laukea (Claoxylon sandwicense) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Few-branched, soft-wooded shrub or small tree 2–6 m tall with woolly young shoots.

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