Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_charpentiera_obovata
Pāpala
Charpentiera obovata
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About Pāpala
Pāpala (Charpentiera obovata) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Often shrubby tree to about 4.5–6 m tall, with pale-brown woolly shoot tips.
Kauaʻi evidence
Taxonomy, nativity, island-level occurrence, growth form, names, and source conservation assessments are documented in the 2026 census audit. Broader ecology and conservation recommendations still require claim-level source review. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Charpentiera obovata
- Common names
- Broadleaf papala · papala
- Hawaiian names
- Pāpala
- Other names
- papala · Charpentiera obovata · Broadleaf papala
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Order
- Caryophyllales
- Record type
- Species or taxonomic group
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Endemic
- Conservation status
- Smithsonian checklist assessment: Apparently Secure; U.S. source status: No Status
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-05
- Evidence limits
- Island-level occurrence is retained; finer locality is intentionally withheld. Growth-form tags describe the taxon across its range, not a measured Kauaʻi population. Checklist source statuses are not a new legal-status determination.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Mesic/wet forest
- Food and resource needs
- Light, water, nutrients, and suitable soil or substrate
- Reproduction
- Viable propagules and suitable establishment conditions
- Shelter
- Suitable soil, substrate, and vegetation structure
- Growth form
- Tree; Shrub
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Ungulates, invasive plants, forest decline
- Conservation actions
- Protect forest stands, source-resolve local taxa
- Monitoring
- Protect forest stands, source-resolve local taxa
- Data gaps
- Additional ecological and conservation citations are recommended
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not assessed
- Seasonal description
- Pāpala (Charpentiera obovata) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and recorded on Kauaʻi. Often shrubby tree to about 4.5–6 m tall, with pale-brown woolly shoot tips.
