Cassine orientalis
Appearance
Cassine orientalis | |
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Young Cassine orientalis tree on Reunion island | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Celastrales |
Family: | Celastraceae |
Genus: | Cassine |
Species: | C. orientalis
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Binomial name | |
Cassine orientalis |
Cassine orientalis, known locally as bois d'olive, is a tall canopy tree endemic to the Mascarene islands of Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues.
In its native islands the tree has been severely over-exploited for its valuable reddish wood. Adults reach up to 20 meters in height. The fruits resemble small olives, from which the local name derives.[1]
Juveniles have shiny narrow leaves with a bright red mid-rib and smooth edges; while adult leave are wide and oval with a serrated margin.
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Foliage of a young tree
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Foliage of an adult
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Elaeodendron orientale.
- ^ "- //Cassine orientalis// (Cav.) Harms / Celastraceae / Espèces". arbres-reunion.cirad.fr. Archived from the original on 2008-10-19.