- Trochetiopsis ebenus
taxobox
name = St Helena Ebony
status = CR
status_system = iucn2.3
regnum =Plantae
unranked_divisio =Angiosperms
unranked_classis =Eudicots
unranked_ordo =Rosids
ordo =Malvales
familia =Malvaceae
genus = "Trochetiopsis "
species = "T. ebenus"
binomial = "Trochetiopsis ebenus"
binomial_authority = Cronk|St Helena ebony ("Trochetiopsis ebenus") is not related to the ebony of commerce but is instead a member of the cocoa family (
Sterculiaceae ). It is now critically endangered in the wild, being reduced to two wild individuals on a cliff, but old roots are sometimes found washed out of eroding slopes (relicts of its former abundance). These are collected on the island a used for inlay work, an important craft in the island ofSt Helena . A related species, the dwarf ebony ("Trochetiopsis melanoxylon ") is now completely extinct.It is quite easy to propagate from cuttings and many island gardens now boast a fine ebony bush. It is related to the St Helena redwood ("
Trochetiopsis erythroxylon ") and a hybrid between them ("Trochetiopsis x benjamini") is also now often planted.ee also
Flora of St Helena References
* Cronk, Q.C.B. (1995) The endemic Flora of St Helena. Anthony Nelson Ltd, Oswestry.
External links
* [http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/plants/islandplants/sthelenaebony.html St. Helena Ebony (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)]
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