acacia koa

The name koa in the Hawaiian language ultimately comes from Proto-Austronesian *teRas meaning "core" or "ironwood"; many names referring to certain ironwood or heartwood species in Southeast Asia and Oceania such as Vitex parviflora (tugás in Cebuano), Eusideroxylon zwageri (togas in Tombonuwo), and Intsia bijuga (dort in Palauan) descend from this root.{{cite web |last1=Blust |first1=Robert |author-link1=Robert Blust |last2=Trussel |first2=Stephen |date=2010 |title=*teRas: heartwood of a tree, hard, durable core of wood; ironwood tree |url=https://acd.clld.org/cognatesets/30880#3/-12.16/118.32 |url-status= |access-date=27 December 2022 |website=Austronesian Comparative Dictionary |publisher=Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology}} The Hawaiian Acacia koa is closely related to a common tree in Taiwan called Acacia confusa. The two species also share a very similar appearance.

Koa also means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6DjyNkRevskC |first=Angela Kay |last=Kepler |title=Hawaiian Heritage Plants |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-8248-1994-1 |page=106}}

File:Acacia Koa trees.jpgs, greenish rounded flower heads, and seedpods]]

Koa is a large tree, typically attaining a height of {{convert|15|-|25|m|ft|abbr=off}} and a spread of {{convert|6|-|12|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite journal |url=http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Acacia-koa.pdf |title=Acacia koa (koa) and Acacia koaia (koaiʻa) |first=Craig R. |last=Elevitch |author2=Kim M. Wilkinson|author3=J. B. Friday|author4=C. Baron Porter |date=April 2006 |publisher=The Traditional Tree Initiative |journal=Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry}} In deep volcanic ash, a koa tree can reach a height of {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=on}}, a circumference of {{convert|6|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and a spread of {{convert|38|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=86X9ryA0NKUC |title=Life in a Rain Forest |first=Anne |last=Welsbacher |publisher=Twenty-First Century Books |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8225-4685-6 |page=30}} It is one of the fastest-growing Hawaiian trees, capable of reaching {{convert|6|-|9|m|ft|abbr=on}} in five years on a good site.{{cite book |first=Kim M. |last=Wilkinson |author2=Craig R. Elevitch |title=Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree |publisher=Permanent Agriculture Resources |location=Hōlualoa, Hawai'i |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-9702544-2-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J0-uxZN9SVMC |page=13}}

Initially, bipinnately compound leaves with 12–24 pairs of leaflets grow on the koa plant, much like other members of the pea family. At about 6–9 months of age, however, thick sickle-shaped "leaves" that are not compound begin to grow. These are phyllodes, blades that develop as an expansion of the leaf petiole. The vertically flattened orientation of the phyllodes allows sunlight to pass to lower levels of the tree. True leaves are entirely replaced by {{convert|7|–|25|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|0.5|–|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide phyllodes on an adult tree.

Flowers of the koa tree are pale-yellow spherical racemes with a diameter of {{convert|8|-|10|mm|in|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.rngr.net/publications/ttsm/species/Acacia%20koa.pdf/?searchterm=acacia%20koa |format=PDF |first=James A. |last=Allen |title=Acacia koa A. Gray |work=Tropical Tree Seed Manual |publisher=Reforestation, Nurseries & Genetics Resources |date=2003-01-01 |access-date=2009-02-23}} Flowering may be seasonal or year round depending on the location.

Fruit production start occurring when a koa tree is between 5 and 30 years old. The fruit are legumes, also called pods, with a length of {{convert|7.5|-|15|cm|abbr=on}} and a width of {{convert|1.5|-|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Each pod contains an average of 12 seeds. The {{convert|6|-|12|mm|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|4|-|7|mm|in|abbr=on}} wide seeds are flattened ellipsoids and range from dark brown to black in color. The pods are mature and ready for propagation after turning from green to brown or black. Seeds are covered with a hard seed coat, and this allows them to remain dormant for up to 25 years. Scarification is needed before A. koa seeds will germinate.

Koa is endemic to the islands of Hawai{{okina}}i, Moloka{{okina}}i, Maui, Lāna{{okina}}i, O{{okina}}ahu, and Kaua{{okina}}i, where it grows at elevations of {{convert|100|-|2300|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It requires {{convert|850|–|5000|mm|in|abbr=on}} of annual rainfall. Acidic to neutral soils (pH of 4–7.4) that are either an Inceptisol derived from volcanic ash or a well-drained histosol are preferred.{{Silvics |volume=2 |genus=Acacia |species=koa |first=Craig D |last=Whitesell |access-date=2009-02-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090120063950/http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/acacia/koa.htm| archive-date= 20 January 2009 | url-status= live}} Its ability to fix nitrogen allows it to grow in very young volcanic soils. Koa and {{okina}}ōhi{{okina}}a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) dominate the canopy of Hawaiian mixed mesic forests.{{cite book |title=Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution |first=Alan C. |last=Ziegler |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-8248-2190-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l56J_8teG58C |pages=175–176}} It is also common in wet forests.{{cite book |title=Plants and Flowers of Hawaiʻi |first=S. H. |last=Sohmer |author2=R. Gustafson |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-8248-1096-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6roh_cQf1N0C |pages=45–52}}

File:Hawaiian Koa Micro Slab.jpgThe koa's trunk was used by ancient Hawaiians to build wa{{okina}}a (dugout outrigger canoes){{cite book |first=William Alanson |last=Bryan |title=Natural History of Hawaii, Being an Account of the Hawaiian People, the Geology and Geography of the Islands, and the Native and Introduced Plants and Animals of the Group |year=1915 |publisher=Hawaiian Gazette Co, Ltd |url=https://archive.org/details/naturalhistoryh01bryagoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/naturalhistoryh01bryagoog/page/n343 339] |isbn=978-1-4446-7820-8}} and papa he{{okina}}e nalu (surfboards). Only paipo (bodyboards), kiko{{okina}}o, and alaia surfboards were made from koa, however; olo, the longest surfboards, were made from the lighter and more buoyant wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis).{{cite book |first=Ben |last=Marcus |author2=Juliana Morais|author3=Jeff Divine|author4=Gary Linden |title=The Surfboard: Art, Style, Stoke |year=2007 |publisher=MBI Publishing Company |isbn=978-0-7603-2753-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EkflVp5yVwYC&pg=PA17 |pages=17–19}} The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of black walnut (Juglans nigra), with a specific gravity of 0.55, and is now sought for use in wood carving and furniture. Koa is also a tonewood,{{cite web |url=http://www.guitarnation.com/articles/koa.htm |title=Koa: Beautiful Looking, Beautiful Sounding Tonewood |first=Norman L. |last=Beberman |publisher=GuitarNation.com |access-date=2009-02-23| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090207020423/http://www.guitarnation.com/articles/koa.htm| archive-date= 7 February 2009 | url-status= live}} often used in the construction of ukuleles,{{cite book |title=Total Ukulele: D-Tuning Method for Beginners |author=Gernot Rödder |publisher=Mel Bay Publications |year=2002 |isbn=978-3-8024-0446-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_wRCs2Sr3kgC&pg=PA93 |page=93}} acoustic guitars,{{cite book |first=Teja |last=Gerken |title=Acoustic Guitar Owner's Manual: The Complete Guide |publisher=String Letter Publishing |isbn=978-1-890490-21-8 |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJ7Lq1jk8cMC&pg=PA10 |page=10}} and Weissenborn-style Hawaiian steel guitars.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Guitars |encyclopedia=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World |volume=II: Performance and Production |first=John |last=Sheperd |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8264-6322-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pJvzEzjahkQC&pg=PA283 |page=283}}

B.C. Rich used koa on some of their electric guitars as well,{{cite book |title=The History and Development of the American Guitar |first=Ken |last=Achard |year=1989 |publisher=Bold Strummer Ltd |isbn=978-0-933224-18-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jytNSlng8g4C&pg=PA163 |page=163}} and still uses a koa-veneered topwood on certain models.{{cite journal |first=Eric |last=Kirkland |title=Rich and Famous |journal=Guitar World |date=December 2006 |page=154}} Fender made limited edition koa wood models of the Telecaster and the Stratocaster in 2006. Trey Anastasio, guitarist for the band Phish, primarily uses a koa hollowbody Languedoc guitar. Commercial silviculture of koa takes 20 to 25 years before a tree is of useful size.{{cite web |url=http://www.lhwrp.org/?c=silviculture |title=Silviculture: Diversification of Rural Economy |publisher=Leeward Haleakalā Watershed Restoration Partnership |access-date=2009-02-01}}

Taylor, Collings and Martin are few among the many other brands that use that tonewood for manufacturing acoustic guitars. {{cite web |url=https://bestguitarsnow.com/is-koa-wood-the-ultimate-choice-for-guitar-enthusiasts/ |title=Is Koa Wood The Ultimate Choice For Guitar Enthusiasts? |publisher=Best Guitars Now |access-date=2023-11-24 |archive-date=2023-11-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124214114/https://bestguitarsnow.com/is-koa-wood-the-ultimate-choice-for-guitar-enthusiasts/ |url-status=dead }}

File:Koa‛Umeke(Bowl)byMelBlair(1914–1995).jpg

In Hawaiʻi, the ‛umeke ‛ (Hawaiian: “wooden bowl”) has been a highly-perfected art form and considered a prized possession for well over a thousand years. They were expertly handcrafted using rare and exotic hardwoods like Kou, Milo, and Koa. Prior to 1819, ‛umekes were considered sacred and strictly reserved for ‛Ali‛i (Hawaiian: “Royalty”), and under penalty of death for a commoner to possess one. Today, ‛umekes are highly collectible and have become known as a universal symbol of generosity and welcome.American Woodturner --- Journal of the American Association of Woodturners

volume 32, issue 5 – October, 2017, Feature Article, pgs. 45–51

“‘UMEKE LA‘AU: A RICH HAWAIIAN TRADITION”, Sharon Doughtie shares a well-researched account of the historical uses and nuances of Hawaiian bowls, or ‘umeke la‘au.

File:Acacia koaia3.jpgAmong other Pacific Islands of volcanic (non-continental) origin, only Vanuatu has native Acacia species. A. heterophylla, from distant Réunion, is very similar and has been suggested to be the closest relative of koa.{{cite journal |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_rp016/psw_rp016.pdf |title=Silvical Characteristics of Koa (Acacia koa Gray) |first=Craig D |last=Whitesell |publisher=United States Forestry Service |year=1964}} Genetic sequence analysis results announced in 2014 confirmed this close relationship; the estimated time of divergence is about 1.4 million years ago.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1038/510320a| pmid = 24943937| title = Tree hitched a ride to island| journal = Nature| volume = 510| issue = 7505| pages = 320–321| date = 2014-06-19| last1 = Marris | first1 = E. | bibcode = 2014Natur.510..320M| doi-access = free}}{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1111/nph.12900| title = Relatedness defies biogeography: The tale of two island endemics (Acacia heterophyllaandA. Koa)| journal = New Phytologist| volume = 204| issue = 1| pages = 230–242| date = 2014-06-18| last1 = Le Roux | first1 = J. J. | last2 = Strasberg | first2 = D. | last3 = Rouget | first3 = M. | last4 = Morden | first4 = C. W. | last5 = Koordom | first5 = M. | last6 = Richardson | first6 = D. M. | pmid=24942529| doi-access = free | bibcode = 2014NewPh.204..230L}} A. heterophylla sequences nest within those of the more diverse A. koa, making the latter paraphyletic. Both species are thought to be descended from an ancestral species in Australia, presumably their sister species, Acacia melanoxylon. Dispersals most likely occurred via seed-carrying by birds such as petrels. Both species have very similar ecological niches, which differ from that of A. melanoxylon.

A closely related species, koai{{okina}}a or koai{{okina}}e (A. koaia), is found in dry areas. It is most easily distinguished by having smaller seeds that are arranged end-to-end in the pod, rather than side by side. The phyllodes are also usually straighter, though this character is variable in both species. The wood is denser, harder, and more finely grained than koa wood. Koai{{okina}}a has been much more heavily impacted by cattle and is now rare, but can be seen on ranch land in North Kohala.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The koa population has suffered from grazing and logging. Many wet forest areas, where the largest koa grow, have been logged out, and it now comes largely from dead or dying trees or farms on private lands. Although formerly used for outrigger canoes, there are few koa remaining which are both large and straight enough to do so today. In areas where cattle are present, koa regeneration is almost completely suppressed. However, if the cattle are removed, koa are among the few native Hawaiian plants able to germinate in grassland, and can be instrumental in restoring native forest. It is often possible to begin reforestation in a pasture by disk harrowing the soil, as this scarifies seeds in the soil and encourages large numbers of koa to germinate. Experiments at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge have shown that {{okina}}ōhi{{okina}}a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) survives best in pasture when planted under koa. This is because koa trees reduce radiative cooling, preventing frost damage to {{okina}}ōhi{{okina}}a lehua seedlings.{{cite journal |url=http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Metrosideros-ohia.pdf |title=Metrosideros polymorpha ('ōhi'a lehua) |first=J. B. |last=Friday |author2=Darrell A. Herbert |date=April 2006 |publisher=The Traditional Tree Initiative |page=21}}

Koa is the preferred host plant for the caterpillars of the green Hawaiian blue (Udara blackburni), which eat the flowers and fruits.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oa5m8gZcGjMC |title=The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide |first=James A. |last=Scott |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-8047-2013-7 |page=399}} Adults drink nectar from the flowers. Koa sap is eaten by the adult Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea).{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/plantsanimalsofh00scot |url-access=registration |title=Plants and Animals of Hawaii |first=Susan |last=Scott |publisher=Bess Press |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-935848-93-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/plantsanimalsofh00scot/page/78 78]}} The koa bug (Coleotichus blackburniae) uses its rostrum to suck the contents out of koa seeds.{{cite web|url=http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/affiliates/prism/documents/KoaBugLesson.pdf|title=Koa Bug Investigation|website=Uhh.hawaii.edu|access-date=15 March 2022}} Koa is vulnerable to infection by koa wilt.

{{Cleanup gallery|date=September 2023}}

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File:Acacia koa with phyllode between the branch and the compound leaves.JPG|Acacia koa with phyllode between the branch and the compound leaves

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|italic=1}}
• {{Wikispecies-inline|Acacia koa|Acacia koa}}
• [http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/images/thumbnails/html/acacia_koa.htm Photos of Acacia koa] at Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project (HEAR)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194225/http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/MEMBGNewsletter/Volume1number3/Nativehawaiianplants.html UCLA botanical garden and home]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070510220548/http://www.nalu-music.com/about-acacia-koa-hawaiian-mahogany Historic photos and descriptions of Acacia koa]

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koa

Category:Endemic flora of Hawaii

Category:Trees of Hawaii

Category:Least concern flora of Oceania

Category:Least concern flora of the United States

Category:Plants described in 1854

Category:Taxa named by Asa Gray