Milo

Thespesia populnea, commonly known as the portia tree, Pacific rosewood, Indian tulip tree or milo, among other names, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a tree found commonly on coasts around the world, native to tropical coastlines and adapted for oceanic dispersal and growth in island environments. It is known from both coasts of Africa, tropical Asia, northern Australia, the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, and the West Indies. Its exact native distribution has been debated. The heartwood is dark reddish brown to chocolate brown. It is known as milo or miro in Polynesian languages, and is popular in Hawaii for woodworking, commonly turned into bowls, because of the range of colours it shows, from tan through yellow to red. The trees were regarded as sacred in Polynesian culture and were commonly planted at marae sites. Traditionally it was planted in sacred groves and used for religious sculpture throughout eastern Polynesia. In Tahiti the wood is used to make the to'ere, a slotted wooden drum used in traditional drumming.