Download Scientific Name: Dodonaea Viscosa Hawaiian Names: `A`ali`I

ʻAʻaliʻi was also fashioned into light fishing
spears, especially for heʻe (octopus). The
wood was used for agricultural tools, rafters,
posts and thatching posts or purlins in house
(hale) construction. An ancient boast of the
people of Kaʻū states: "He ʻaʻaliʻi au; ʻaʻohe
makani e hina ai" which means "I am an
"ʻaʻaliʻi shrub; no wind can push me over," or
in other words, "I can hold my own even in
the face of difficulties."
Scientific Name: Dodonaea Viscosa
Hawaiian Names: ‘A’ali’I, Kumakani
Family: Sapindaceae
General Description:
A’ali’i is an extremely variable species
throughout its natural range. A’ali’i can be a
medium-sized shrub or small tree up to 25
feet tall, but most often it is 6 to 12 feet in
height. The plant may have one or several
main trunks which have reddish-brown to
blackish gray bark.
Modern Use
Used in modern times throughout the world
as a poultice or decocted for topical use only.
This plant is mildly toxic containing small
amounts of cyanogenic toxins and plant
materials can cause cyanide poisoning if
ingested.
Etymology
The generic name Dodonaea is named after
the Flemish physician and botanist Rembert
Dodoens (1517-1585), who was later a
professor of medicine at Leiden, The
Netherlands.
Habitat and Geographic Range:
A’ali’i is indigenous and widespread
throughout the tropics. In Hawai'i, A’ali’i is
found on all the main islands except
Kaho'olawe in almost every habitat ranging
from almost sea level to 7,500 feet. It is often
found in open locations such as ridges and is
an early colonizer of lava fields and pastures.
Early Hawaiian Use
Fruits (capsules) and leaves were used in lei
making by early Hawaiians and continues to
be used in lei making today. The seeds were
boiled to make red dye for decorating kapa
(tapa) cloth. The crushed leaves were used as
a topical medicine for relief from irritating
rashes and contagious diseases such as
ringworm or "haole rot" and staff infections.
The very hard, durable wood is heavy and
sinks in water and so was used for bait sticks.
Scientific Name: Sida Fallax
Hawaiian Name: Yellow ‘Ilima.
Family: Malvaceae
General Description
ʻIlima belongs to the mallow family and the
only species in the genus native to the
Hawaiian Archipelago. In 1923, the
Territorial Legislature chose ‘Ilima as the
official flower for the island of Oʻahu.
Geographic Distribution
‘Ilima is naturally distributed from tropical
China to Eastern Polynesia. In Hawai'i, ‘Ilima
grows on rocky or sandy coasts, on raised
limestone reefs, lava fields, and dry to moist
forests up to 1,980 meters elevation.
Indigenous Practices
`Ilima is highly esteemed by the Hawaiian
culture for its delicate blossoms used to make
garlands (lei). It was one of the few non-food
plants cultivated by ancient Hawaiians and
they have sevaral named varieties. The most
preferred variety for making garlands is
"Royal 'ilima" or "ilima lei", which has large
orange-yellow flowers. In old Hawai'i, as in
many other countries, yellow and gold were,
and still are, special colors. `Ilima leis were
given to departing friends, as this reputedly
brought good luck. Each lei requires about
500 flowers and a great deal of patience to
make.
Medicinal Uses
Medicinally, ‘Ilima was called kanaka maka’i,
literally meaning “good man.” Early
Hawaiians gave babies the juice of the flowers
as a mild laxative. The number of buds used
was according to the age of the child. The
buds were chewed by the mother before
giving it to her baby. ‘Ilima flowers mixed
with other plants were also used for “womb
troubles.” When the person felt weak, the
bark of the roots were mixed with other
plants and pounded together, strained and
drank as a tonic. Additionally, the root bark
mixed with the flowers was used for asthma.
Etymology
The generic name Sida is from a Greek name
used by Theophrastus in his writings for both
a water-liy (Nymphaea alba) and a
pomegranate tree. The specific epithet fallax
is from fallacis, deceitful or false.
Scientific Name: Santalum ellipticum
Hawaiian Name: ‘Iliahi Sandalwood
Family: Santalaceae
General Description
Sandalwood also known as ‘Iliahi is the name
of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the
genus santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow,
and fine grained, and unlike many other
aromatic woods they retain their fragrance
for decades. As well as using the harvested
and cut wood in situ, essential oils are also
extracted from the woods for use. Both the
wood and the oil produce a distinctive
fragrance that has been highly valued for
centuries. ʻIliahi is a hemiparasitic, which
means it derive some nutrients from their
host but are not totally dependent on them.
Early Hawaiian Use
The Hawaiian name lāʻau ʻala literally means
"sweet wood" or "fragrant wood." Though
early Hawaiians may not have used
sandalwood extensively, it was still valued.
Besides used as firewood, the wood was
sometimes used to make ʻūkēkē or musical
bow.
Medicinally, the leaves were used as a
shampoo for dandruff and head lice; and a
drink from powdered material for male and
female sex organs or "for sores of long
duration."
The red or yellow were indicative of divine
and cheifly rank; the purple flowers and fruit,
or with fragrance, were associated with
divinity. The leaves, new leaves (liko) and
flowers of ʻiliahialoʻe were used for lei making
by early Hawaiians.
The Sandalwood Trade Story
Sandalwood was subject to the sandalwood
trade from 1790 to early 1800s. Most of the
sandalwood shipped from Hawaii came from
the lowlands and this species was one of
those used in the trade. The captivating scent
of the heartwood has fueled greed among
men throughout the world. This was the case
with a collaboration of Chinese, American and
Hawaiian merchants and monarchy in the late
18th century. Due to China's, as well as a few
other countries, insatiable appetite for
sandalwood, the white sandalwood imported
from India was becoming scarce because of
over harvesting and, even to this day, it is an
endangered species. Many thousands of
Hawaiians, at the order of the aliʻi, under
Kamehameha I, left off agriculture and
worked to supply the Sandalwood Trade. The
consequences were devastating. Many of the
common people who were used as laborers
died from exposure to cold weather,
exhaustion, malnutrition, disease or other
causes. As a result, during this dark period,
Hawaii suffered through one of the worst
famines in its history.
Etymology
The generic name Santalum is derived from
santalon , the Greek name for sandalwood.
The specific epithet ellipticum is from the
latin ellipticus, oblong with round ends, in
reference the shape of the leaves of this
species.
Scientific Name: Erythrina Sandwicensis
Hawaiian Name: Wili Wili
Family: Fabaceae
General Description
Wili Wili is a small deciduous tree 5-15m tall
with a short, stout, crooked or gnarled trunk.
Wili Wili is one of Hawai'i's few deciduous
native trees. It loses its leaves during the
summer in order to conserve water and puts
out new leaves in the fall. Flower color within
natural populations can include orange,
yellow, salmon, green and white. Wili Wili
tree blooms after the leaves fall in the
summer making the flower clusters very
showy. Mature pods are found on the trees
during winter months (December to
February). Pods contain 1-4 elliptical, shiny
red orange seeds 13-15 mm long. Wili Wili,
means repeatedly twisted and refers to the
seed pods which twist open to reveal the
seeds. Pods usually contain 1 to 3 seeds, but
may contain as many as 6 seeds.
Native Legends
One legend refers to the different
appearances in the transformation of three
sisters into Wili Wili trees. According to the
legend, a bald sister becomes a tree with no
leaves, a sister with wind tossed hair
becomes a tree with fluttering leaves, and a
hunchbacked sister becomes a gnarled tree.
Indigenous Practices
The wood is reported to be the lightest of
Hawaiian wood. It was used for surfboards,
canoe outriggers, and fish net floats. The
practice of using Wili Wili wood for
outriggers
was
abandoned
because
Hawaiians believed that sharks followed such
canoes. They also believed that trees bearing
orange-red flowers possessed more durable
wood than those bearing lighter colored
flowers. The bright red seeds were used for
making leis. Captain Cook was reportedly
given a lei made of Wili Wili seeds when he
visited the islands in 1778. Wili Wili has been
planted as living fences.
Preservation & Conservation Strategy
Wili Wili is now being used in re-vegetation
programs using endemic species to
rehabilitate highly eroded areas in Hawaii. It
survives extended drought and high winds,
but growth is slow under such harsh
conditions.
Wili Wili Hula Chant
Auwe! Pau au i ka manō nui, e! Lala-kea niho
pa-kolu. Pau ka papa-ku o Lono. O ka ai ia e ka
manō nui, O Niuhi maka ahi, Olapa i ke kai
lipo. Ahu e! au-we! A pua ka wiliwili, A
nanahu ka manō Auwe! pau ai i ka mano nui!
Kai uli, kai ele, Kai popolohua o Kane. A lealea
au i kaʻu hula, Pau au i ka manō nui!
Alas! I am seized by the shark, great shark!
Lala-kea with triple-banked teeth. The
stratum of Lono is gone, Torn up by the
monster shark, Niuhi with fiery eyes, That
flamed in the deep blue sea. Alas! and alas!
When the flowers of the Wili Wili tree, That is
the time when the shark-god bites. Alas! I am
seized by the huge shark! O blue sea, O dark
sea, Foam-mottled sea of Kane! What
pleasure I took in my dancing! Alas! now
consumed by the monster shark!
Scientific Name: Myoporum sandwicense
Hawaiian Name: Naio
Family: Scrophulariaceae
General Description
Myoporum sandwicense, commonly known
as Naio, is a shrub or small tree that grows
from 1 to 10 m tall. Naio plants can be lowgrowing and widely spreading in form or
multi-branched and erect shrubs. The slightly
fleshy leaves are arranged alternately along
the stem, are covered with glandular dots.
The leaves are variable in shape reaching 2.522 cm in length and 0.5-4 cm in width. The
white to pink Naio flowers are produced in
small clusters containing 3-10 flowers in the
leaf axils. The flowers are bell-shaped; the
petals are fused at the base to form a short
tube (4.5-12 mm long) and have five,
triangular lobes that spread widely. A yellow
nectary disc is present in the center of the
flower and the inner surfaces of the petals
may be covered with small white hairs. he
fruit is 9 mm in diameter and is fleshy and
round. Each fruit contains a single, spindle
shaped seed that is 2.5 mm long.
Geographic Distribution
Naio is native to Hawai‘i where it is found on
all the main islands from sea level to 2380m.
It is found in a range of vegetation types
including coastal strand vegetation, ‘a‘a lava
fields, dry forest, mesic to wet forest, and
subalpine forest.
Naio contains 28-30 species with a
distribution in Asia, Australia, Mauritius, New
Guinea, New Zealand, and the Pacific.
Native Legends & Names
The name Myoporum is derived from the
Greek words myo meaning close and poros
meaning pore which describes the dense
arrangement of the glands on the leaves of
Naio plants.
Indigenous Practices
The trunks of Naio were traditionally used for
the larger posts of hale and the smaller
branches were used along the length of the
roof to attach the thatching material obtained
from Pili grass (Heteropogon contortus). The
wood of Naio is fragrant when dried or burnt
and smells similar to Sandalwood. During the
nineteenth century when Sandalwood was
exported from Hawai‘i Naio wood was used
as a substitute when supplies of this wood
became scarce due to overharvesting.
Dangerous & Poisonous
This species contains a toxic compound called
ngaione in the volatile oils in the plant. Cattle
and sheep that have consumed plant material
may develop photodermatitis on the face,
ears, eyes, and lips and large quantities may
prove fatal to some animals.
Scientific Name: Waltheria Indica
Hawaiian Name: Uhaloa, sleepy morning
Family: Sterculiaceae
General Description
Uhaloa is a short-lived shrub that can rise up
to 6 feet or so in height. It grows a weak
taproot but vigorous lateral roots and
numerous fine roots. All roots are brownish
and pliable. A single, staunch stem springs
from the ground and commonly branches
near the surface. Early stems and leaves are
coated with a velvety gray down. Alternate
leaves, with prominent, entrenched veining,
are narrowly oval or oblong, with irregular,
serrated edges and a rounded to pointed tip.
Dainty, fragrant, yellow to orange flowers are
clustered in the leaf axils. Fruit capsules are
double-valved, each with a solitary, tiny black
seed.
Uhaloa flourishes in the tropics and warmer
subtropics. In Hawaii it has adapted to
habitats up to the 4,000-foot elevation.
Uhaloa survives in a diverse range of soils
with igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
rocks. It perseveres in drought, salt spray and
slightly salty soil. It does not tolerate a shade
canopy and is unable to live in dense
grasslands.
Benefits & Detriments
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, Uhaloa is
used to make an herb tea. The plant produces
fiber that was formerly used for making
cords, sacking, padding and sandals.
Durawhite, an extract of Uhaloa is used in
commercial cosmetic for its ability to inhibit
melanin synthesis and whiten the skin. The
plant contains steroid derivatives and
alkaloids of the adouetine group that perhaps
make it physiologically active. Various
extracts are used as standard febrifugal,
purgative, emollient, tonic, analgesic and
astringent herbal medicines in Africa.
Medicinal Uses:
In Hawaii, the root is chewed to relieve sore
throat. Whole plant or roots decocted. Whole
plant juiced fresh for asthma, or as a bitter
tonic.
Saying
The rule of thumb when using nonthreatened native Hawaiian plants is to give
back to the 'Äina more than you take from
her. Take only what you will use and use
sparingly.
Early Hawaiian Use
Even with the toxic background, the early
Hawaiians used the bright yellow sap (latex)
and seeds medicinally for toothache pain,
neuralgia (nerve pain), and ulcers. The sap
was also used for warts.
Modern Use
One of the few native plants found in cow
pastures. Since cattle, and possibly other
ungulates (goats, sheep), will not eat
hawaiian moon poppy it may possibly be
used the plants as a beautiful and natural
border hedge for unwanted grazers from
entering into fragile areas.
Blooming & Fruiting Information
Flowers are delicate and each only last a day
but new flowers open daily during the
blooming period. The flowers will wilt almost
immediately after being picked.
Scientific Name: Argemone Glauca
Hawaiian Name: Pua Kala, Hawaiian Moon
poppy
Family: Papaveraceae
General Description
Hawaiian moon poppy is one of the few toxic
native Hawaiian plants and is close relative of
the Mexican poppy, which is naturalized in
the islands. It does not contain morphine or
codine, unlike its relative the opium poppy
(Papaver somniferum). However, Hawaiian
moon poppy does house alkaloids that irritate
the stomach and intestines. But because of
the extremely bitter taste there have been
few reported poisonings. On the Big Island,
Hawaiian poppy is restricted to the south
point.
Prickles on the leaves can be advantageous in
directing foot traffic. The few aforementioned
negative aspects of Hawaiian moon poppy are
certainly outweighed by the contrast of the
delicate brilliant white and yellow flowers
combined with the attractive spiny bluishgreen foliage. These positive attributes make
pua kala a worthy addition to the landscape!
Seeds form in the prickly capsules which are
usually held upright. When ripe, the seed
capsules turn brown and split, exposing
blackish brown seeds which are tolerant of
fire and will sprout after an area has been
recently burned.
Etymology
The genus name Argemone is derived from
the Greek argema, cataract, in reference to
the use of the sap of type of poppy reputed to
cure cataracts.
The specific epithet glauca is from the Greek,
glaukos, for blue-green or blue-gray referring
to the color of this poppy's leaves.