Psychotria mariniana
Encyclopedia
Psychotria mariniana, or Kōpiko, is a tree endemic to Hawaii
. The plant belongs to the Rubiaceae
(coffee
) family, subfamily Rubioidae. It is a tree of varying size with a dark bark, shiny leaves, and orange oval fruit.
A distinctive line of glands along the bottom of the central vein of each leaf connects this plant to the Hawaiian word for it, since piko means navel (in Hawaiian
). The word kōpiko applies to all the Hawaiian plants in the genus Psychotria.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The plant belongs to the Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
(coffee
Coffea
Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Seeds of several species are the source of the popular beverage coffee. Coffee ranks as one of the world's most valuable and widely traded...
) family, subfamily Rubioidae. It is a tree of varying size with a dark bark, shiny leaves, and orange oval fruit.
A distinctive line of glands along the bottom of the central vein of each leaf connects this plant to the Hawaiian word for it, since piko means navel (in Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
). The word kōpiko applies to all the Hawaiian plants in the genus Psychotria.
External links
- http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/Faculty/Carr/psychotria.htm Psychotria page from the university of Hawaii.
- http://books.google.com/books?id=1_kU9DjLykEC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=kopiko+piko&source=web&ots=g-9iYRRJ_k&sig=72_LvRvRfA0frSnrFI7VU-q6nGQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result A page about growing kōpiko in gardens.
- http://books.google.com/books?id=ifqJyKFpI-gC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=kopiko+piko&source=web&ots=BejXSFN5kb&sig=qlCFOXQCwSMMsZVgWaB7jMM3Y6Y&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result A hiking page referring to kōpiko.olani Community College]] |accessdate=}}