go to www.botany.hawaii.edu (from the link below). The native plant image library is quite amazing. The images are sorted alphabetically by class and genra. Here are some native tree genera that may grow to 60 feet (though not all are rare, some may grow up to 30 feet, also i dont know how valid the information you were told is): Sapindus, Acacia, Myrsine, Pouteria, Tetraplasandra, Munroidendron, Metrosideros, Pteralyxia, Diospyros, Pisonia, Santalum, Zanthoxylum. You can try searching these genre on UHM's site, just to help you out. im curious to know what your tree is. of course the best thing to do would be to have a picture, but oh well. Anyway.. aloha ..

Matt

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/natives.htm

Please let us know what you have!
kevin
p.s. we're drooling with anticipation

so far I've gotten a couple of responses saying it'a a kapok
tree.