Euphorbia celastroides var. stokesii
Genus
Euphorbia
Species
celastroides
Varieties
- stokesii
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Koko
- Kōkōmālei
- ʻAkoko
- ʻEkoko
Hawaiian Names
- Akoko
- Ekoko
- Koko
- Kokomalei
Synonyms
- Chamaesyce celastroides var. kealiana
- Chamaesyce celastroides var. moomomiana
- Chamaesyce celastroides var. stokesii
- Euphorbia celastroides var. moomomiana
- Euphorbia stokesii
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
At Risk
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Shrub
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
No data available.
Life Span
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Accent
- Container
- Hedges
Source of Fragrance
- Flowers
Additional Fragrance Information
The pungent flowers of ʻakoko have been described as smelling like bad breath. [Kim Starr, United States Geological Survey-Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit]
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Type
Not Showy
Flower Colors
- Brownish
- Greenish-White
Additional Flower Color Information
While the flowers are not showy, the bright pinkish to red fruits can be uniquely appealing en masse.
Blooming Period
- Sporadic
Plant texture
- Fine
- Medium
Leaf Colors
- Gray / Silverish
- Light Green
Additional Pest & Disease Information
Red spider mites and mealybugs can be problematic if not controlled.
Pruning Information
Generally not necessary to prune plants except to remove dead branches and leaves for a cleaner appearance in the landscape. A milky, sticky latex naturally oozes from wounds.
Water Requirements
- Dry
Additional Water Information
This variety seems to tolerate moist to dry conditions.
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Tolerances
- Drought
- Wind
- Salt Spray
Soils
- Sand
- Cinder
- Coral
Natural Range
- Niʻihau
- Kauaʻi
- Molokaʻi
- Kahoʻolawe
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
No data available.
Additional Habitat Information
This rare variety is down to about a thousand or so plants and found on windswept cliffs and ledges above the ocean. It is from Niʻihau and nearby Kaʻula Islet, Kauaʻi (Kīlauea Pt.), Molokaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe.
Special Features and Information
General Information
ʻAkoko belong to the Spurge or Euphorbia family (Euphorbiaceae). The genus has recently been chnged from Chamaesyce to Euphorbia.
There are seventeen native species of ʻakoko (Euphorbia spp.)--all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. A number of ʻakoko are either vulnerable, rare or endangered, with two considered extinct. Several have beautiful foliage and range in size from very prostrate sub-shrubs such as Euphorbia degeneri to Euphorbia olowaluana, which are nearly 30-foot trees--perhaps the tallest in the entire genus of 250 species worldwide!
Another native member in Euphorbiaceae is poʻolā (Claoxylon sandwicense). Some well known non-native relatives are the Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), kukui (Aleurites moluccana), poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), cassava (Manihot esculenta), and the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) from which latex comes.
Etymology
The former generic name Chamaesyce is derived from the Greek chamai, on the ground, and sykon, fig, perhaps in reference to the low habit of most species and the fig-like apperance of the capsules.
The current genus is Euphorbia, and is classically supposed to have been named for Euphorbus, a physician to the king of Mauretania in the first century A.D. (C.E.).
The specific epithet celastroides means "resembling Celastrus," a genus of shrubs and vines commonly known as staff vines, staff trees or bittersweet.
The varietal name, stokesii, was named for John Francis Gray Stokes (1876-1960), American photographer, genealogist, archaeologist and a plant collector in the Hawaiian Islands and Polynesia.
Hawaiian Names:
The name ʻakoko comes from the Hawaiian word koko for blood. They get their name from the red, or blood-colored, seed capsules appearing as drops of blood on the plant. [2]
Background Information
This ʻakoko (Chamaesyce celastroides) is the by far the most variable and widespread of all the Hawaiian Chamaesyce. The erect capsules (fruits) distinguish them from other species, except C. herbstii and C. rockii, which have distinctively larger fruits.
Additional References
[1] "Hawaii Biodiversity Mapping Program" http://hbmp.hawaii.edu/hbmp/
[2] "In Gardens of Hawaii" by Marie C. Neal, page 516.
PHOTOS FOR THIS SPECIES CAN BE SEEN AT THE LINK (Copy & Paste to your browser):
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=50823119%40N08&sort=date-taken-desc&view_all=1&text=Euphorbia%20celastroides%20var.%20stokesii
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This record is as complete as we can generate for this plant profile at this point. Please email nativeplantshawaii@gmail.com if you wish to contribute to the data. Please include sources and references for all data submitted