Diospyros sandwicensis Diospyros sandwicensis Diospyros sandwicensis is a species of flowering tree in the ebony family, Ebenaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It belongs to the same genus as both persimmons and ebony. Its common name, lama, also means enlightenment in Hawaiian. "Lama" is a small to medium-sized tree, with a height of and a trunk diameter of . It can be found in dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of on all major islands. "Lama" and "olopua" ("Nestegis sandwicensis") are dominant species in lowland dry forests on the islands of Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, and Lānai. The sapwood
Ebenaceae diverse animal taxa. The foliage is consumed by insects. The plants may have a strong scent. Some species have aromatic wood. They are important and conspicuous trees in many of their native ecosystems, such as lowland dry forests of the former Maui Nui in Hawaii, Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests, Kathiarbar-Gir dry deciduous forests, Louisiade Archipelago rain forests, Madagascar lowland forests, Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests, New Guinea mangroves, and South Western Ghats montane rain forests. Ebony is a dense black wood taken from several species in the genus "Diospyros", including "Diospyros ebenum" (Ceylon ebony, Indian ebony), "Diospyros crassiflora" (West African