Trochetiopsis ebenus

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 of St 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.

See also

References

• Cronk, Q.C.B. (1995) The endemic Flora of St Helena. Anthony Nelson Ltd, Oswestry.

External links

• St. Helena Ebony (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)