Native Hawaiian tree kōlea lau nui spotted and verified in the wild
iNaturalist: robin_dive_diva
Native Plants
If you hike Hawaiian forests, this glossy-leaved native tree with striking red new growth is a marker of healthy native forest, and every confirmed sighting helps conservationists know where those pockets still survive.
Someone out in nature snapped a photo of a kōlea lau nui tree and other naturalists on iNaturalist confirmed the identification, making it a research-grade record. These crowd-verified sightings build a real map of where native Hawaiian plants are still growing, which is useful for anyone tracking how these species are faring over time.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status through community identification consensus on iNaturalist
Sighting was recorded in the United States (Hawaii, based on the species' native range)
Myrsine lessertiana is a tree endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, commonly known as kōlea lau nui
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen scientist confirmed a verified sighting of kōlea lau nui, a native Hawaiian tree, in the United States. This kind of confirmed observation helps researchers track where native species are still thriving.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
kōlea lau nui (Myrsine lessertiana) observed in United States
Research-grade observation of kōlea lau nui in United States.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Myrsine lessertiana, the kōlea lau nui, is a species of colicwood endemic to the U.S. state of Hawaii in the family Primulaceae. It inhabits Hawaiian tropical dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 210–1,220 m (690–4,000 ft) on the main Hawaiian islands. M. lessertiana ...