(Maintenance Building)

Olopua, Nestegis sandwicensis (A. Gray) Degener, I., Degener & L. Johnson, is an endemic species of the family Oleaceae. It's a large tree, ranging in growth from 8 meters tall to 20 meters (60 feet) tall, with thick and corrugated bark. Olopua bears leaves that are pale underneath, darker on upper surface, lance-shaped to elliptic and narrow to oblong leaves and leather-like in texture. The leaves are variable in size: as small in Molokai specimens and exceedingly large and oblong acute-tipped in Kauai specimens.

The flower clusters consist of 7-11 hermaphroditic flowers, pale yellow, short, and tubular -shaped. The fruits formed are 12 to 22 mm long, ovoid in shape, a drupe (fleshy with a single seed) which is green when immature, becoming purplish to bluish black at maturity. The wood of olopua is very hard, close-grained and very durable. It has dark-brownish color with blackish streaks, very dense and heavy wood that takes excellent polish. The durable hardwood was formerly used for adzes and other tools and as a rasp in the manufacture of fish hooks. It was also used as firewood, as it burned with a hot flame even when green.