Cheirodendron is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae (order Apiales), comprising six species endemic to Polynesia. Five of these are native to the Hawaiian Islands, where they are commonly known as ʻōlapa or lapalapa, while one species occurs in the Marquesas Islands. The genus was described by Thomas Nuttall ex Berthold Carl Seemann and is placed in the subfamily Aralioideae.
Members of Cheirodendron are woody plants found in wet forests across all major Hawaiian Islands, with some populations extending into mesic forests such as Kipuka Puaulu on Hawaiʻi Island. The six recognized species are Cheirodendron bastardianum (Marquesas Islands), C. dominii (Kauaʻi), C. fauriei (Kauaʻi), C. forbesii (Kauaʻi), C. platyphyllum (Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, with two subspecies), and C. trigynum (all main Hawaiian Islands, with two subspecies).
Etymology
The genus name Cheirodendron derives from the Greek words cheir (χείρ, "hand") and dendron (δένδρον, "tree"), referring to the palmately compound (hand-shaped) leaves characteristic of the genus. The Hawaiian common name is ʻōlapa or lapalapa.
Distribution
Cheirodendron is endemic to Polynesia. Five of the six species are restricted to the Hawaiian Islands, occurring on all major islands including Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and the main islands of Hawaiʻi. The sixth species, C. bastardianum (syn. C. marquesense), is endemic to the Marquesas Islands. Within Hawaiʻi, the species are found primarily in wet forests, with some populations extending into mesic forest environments.
Ecology
Hawaiian Cheirodendron species grow in wet forests on all major islands, with some populations occurring in mesic forest habitats such as Kipuka Puaulu on Hawaiʻi Island. The plants are components of native Hawaiian forest ecosystems, forming part of the understory and canopy in montane wet forests.
Taxonomy
Cheirodendron is a genus in the family Araliaceae, subfamily Aralioideae, within the order Apiales. The genus authority is Nuttall ex Seemann (abbreviated Nutt. ex Seem.). Six species are currently recognized, with two species (C. platyphyllum and C. trigynum) each comprising two subspecies. The genus is part of a primarily tropical and subtropical plant family that also includes well-known genera such as Hedera (ivy), Panax (ginseng), and Schefflera.
