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Trochetiopsis erythroxylon

Saint Helena redwood
Curtis's botanical magazine (10596065205).jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Trochetiopsis
Species: T. erythroxylon
Binomial name
Trochetiopsis erythroxylon
(Forst.) Marais

Trochetiopsis erythroxylon, the Saint Helena redwood, is a species of plany, now extinct in the wild. It was formerly abundant enough in the upland parts of the island of Saint Helena for early settlers in the 17th century to use the timber to make their homes. It now exists in cultivation, although cultivated stock is weak. This species has pendant flowers, petals that turn pink with age, and white staminodes.

Saint Helena redwood is completely unrelated to the redwood tree of California and other trees called redwood.

It is, however, in the same genus as the Saint Helena ebony (Trochetiopsis ebenus) and a hybrid between them (Trochetiopsis x benjamini) is now often planted on the island.

Flora of St Helena


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