Trees of Stanford

Pittosporaceae. Pittoraceae

1. Pittosporum

About seventy species, native in Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding islands. Five species on campus, widespread and common to infrequent.

From the Greek pitte, to tar or pitch, and sporos, seed, in reference to the seeds embedded in a sticky substance.

P. phillyraeoides previously grew on campus; no current known locations. See below for Hymenosporum.

A. Under-surface of leaves white-woolly, flowers dark-red to purple. Infrequent.	P. crassifolium
AA. Under-surface of leaves not woolly or hairy, flowers white, greenish, yellow, except P. tenuifolium
B. Leaf tips mostly obtuse (rounded), leaves thick and leathery, leaf margins turned under. Almost always seen as hedge.
C. Leaves shiny green	P. tobira
CC. Leaves light green and whitesh	P. tobira 'variegatum'
BB. Leaf tips acute (sharp pointed), leaf margins often undulate
C. Lf length 1-2(3) inches, fls dark purple, axillary	P. tenuifolium
CC. Lf length 1-2(3) inches, fls white to greenish-yellow, in terminal clusters
D. Leaves light, yellowish green, the midrib and petiole whitish (branchlets blackish), fls greenish-yellow. leaves | flower	P. eugenoides
DD. Leaves dark green above, fls white, very fragrant (citrus-like aroma)	P. undulatum

2. Hymenosporum

Hymenosporum flavum individuals disappeared from Wilbur Hall grounds sometime after 1977. In 2002 Grounds planted Hymenosporum flavum at the new Humanties Center; both specimens died.