Kingdom Plantae Family Sapotaceae Genus Labourdonnaisia | Order Ericales Subfamily Sapotoideae | |
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Labourdonnaisia calophylloides ("Bois de Natte a Petites Feuilles") is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae native to the islands of Mauritius and Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
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Description
It reaches heights of 20 meters in the wild, and it develops a very characteristic and ornamental shape, as its leaves bunch together at the very tips of each twig.
Distribution
It was formerly widespread across the Mascarene islands. In the wild it still occurs in Mauritius at Grand Bassin, Petrin, and is locally common in the recovering forests of Monvert.
Related and similar species
It is not to be confused with its relative and similarly named Labourdonnaisia glauca ("Bois de Natte a Grandes Feuilles"). The Labourdonnaisia tree species can also sometimes be confused with the endemic trees of the Sideroxylon genus (S.puberulum and S.cinereum). However the Labourdonnaisia species have parallel venation on their leaves, while the Sideroxylon species have densely netted leaf-venation and strong midribs under their leaves.