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Naupaka
Scaevola taccada
クサトベラ
An evergreen shrub native to the coasts of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu. It grows at the forefront of sandy beaches and rocky shores, tolerating strong winds, saltwater, and intense sunlight. The flowers have a distinctive half-flower shape, with petals arranged on one side only.
Identification Points
- ✓Petals arranged fan-like on one side only (half-flower)
- ✓Grows at the frontline of coastal beaches
- ✓Leaves are fleshy, glossy, and salt-tolerant
Habitat
Coastal sandy beaches and rocky shores of the Ryukyu Islands and southern Kyushu
Season
Year-round (flowering)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Shrub
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Habitat
Coastal
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Petal count
Many
Stipules
Absent
Flower symmetry
Zygomorphic
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionクサトベラ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Asterales > Goodeniaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene to Neogene (diversified mainly in Australia)
Evolution Notes
Goodeniaceae is a family in Asterales centered in Australia, characterized by zygomorphic 'half-flowers.' Dispersal to Pacific islands was achieved through ocean-current seed transport.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification