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Endemic to Hawaiian islands. This photo at 3960 ft./1207 m. Nectar important to endemic forest birds. Trees numbers were greatly reduced due to high demand for beautiful wood. Now some recovery with forestation for sustainable use.
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Endemic to Hawaiian islands. This photo at 4000 ft./1220 m. Nectar important to endemic forest birds. Trees numbers were greatly reduced due to high demand for beautiful wood. Now some recovery with forestation for sustainable use.
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Endemic to Hawaiian islands. This photo around 5500 ft./1677 m.
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Endemic to Hawaiian islands. This photo around 5500 ft./1677 m. In this dry forest Koa is the dominant tree.
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Endemic to Hawaiian islands. This photo around 3940 ft./1201 m, in a mesic/rain forest where Ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees are dominant. Saplings have small bipinnately compound leaves. The typical larger sickle 'leaves' of Koa are modified petioles (phyllodes) shown in this photo on top of small sapling leaves.
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Endemic to Hawaiian islands. This photo of a koa sapling shows the modified, expanded petiole (phyllode) leading to the true leaves. As the tree grows, the true leaves will no longer occur, leaving only the sickle shaped phyllodes as apparent leaves. Phyllodes do function in photosynthesis.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Elevation of this photo around 4400ft/1341m. Photo shows flower buds with a few opened.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Elevation of this photo around 4400ft/1341m.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Elevation of this photo around 4400ft/1341m. Seed pod was still attached to tree.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Orange lichen is common on middle age to older Koa tree trunks.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Note lichen on bark. Young trees have smooth grey-white bark; middle aged/sized trees often have orange colored bark; older trees have light brown to brown furrowed bark
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Koa wood is a beautiful red brown and is used often for wood carvings, furniture, canoes and other things. Trees were over harvested and only recently have efforts to replant logged areas begun. This tree had fallen across the trail and was cut to clear the trail. This was a large limb on a large tree and the age is evidenced by the furrowed bark.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. Note the classic orange lichen on bark.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. This flattened pod was around 1-1.5cm in width and 18-20cm long.
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Endemic to Hawaiian Islands. This photo shows part of a stand of large Koa trees. Elevation of this photo is approximately 4200 ft/1280 m.
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