kahanahiki plants & animals

Kahanahāiki

Plants & Animals

Hilo Grass (Paspalum conjugatum)

-INVASIVE

creeping along soil surface

-hairy ligules

-stems can be purplish

Kamanomano (Cenchrus agrimonioides var. agrimonioides)

-Bufflegrass

-close to stability goals

-seeds burr-like

-thought to have been dispursed by flightless geese

Mu (Rhynchogonus welchi)

-endemic to O`ahu

-lives only in small area of Wai`anaes

-Associated with Sapindus trees (Aulu)

-elytra look like sunflower seeds!

Kamehameha Butterfly (Vanessa tameamea)

-one of Hawai`i’s 2 native butterflies (other is

Koa butterfly)

-larvae feed on Mamaki & other nettles

-adults feed on sap fluxes of Koa trees

Dictyophorodelphax mirabilis; D. swezeyi

-Delphacid plant-hopper

-endemic to O`ahu

-long head may serve to store toxins to discourage predators

-or long head may be adaptation to process toxic sap

-branch of the gut extends into the head

-Insects make sounds inaudible to humans

-These “songs” transmitted through substrate (instead of air)

-scientists use distinct “songs” to differentiate between species

Kopiko (Psychotria mariana)

-Rubiaceae

-Alakea looks like it, but no pikos, and light green new

leaves

-used to make anvils for beating kapa, and for fuel

Ala`a (Pouteria sandwicensis)

-Sapotaceae

-milky sap

-yellow midrib

-new leaves felted, brown?

-old leaves smooth, shiny

-fruit round

Maua (Xylosma hawaiiense)

-Flacortiaceae

-serrated leaf margins

-leaves alternate

-red new leaves

-otherwise looks like Hame

Hame (Antidesma platyphyllum)

-Euphorbiaceae

-looks like Maua, but no red new

leaves and smooth leaf margins

Kolea (Myrsine lessertiana)

-Myrsinaceae

-pink new leaves

-Achatinella snails like this tree!

Olopua (Nestegis sandwicensis)

-Oleaceae

-leaves opposite

-more slender leaves than Hame or Maua

-Petiole yellow or sometimes reddish

-Achatinella snails love this tree!

Mamaki (Pipturus

albidus)

-Urticaceae

-O`ahu endemic

-Kamehameha

butterfly caterpillars

found in rolled up

leaves

-leaves alternate

-fruit resembles head

of Kam caterpillar

-can make tea from

leaves

Awikiwiki (Canavalia galiata)

-Fabaceae

-native vine

-endemic to O`ahu

`Iliahi (Santalum freycinetianum)

-Santalaceae

-Sandalwood

-leaves leathery, “droopy”, curled

edges

-pink petioles (common?)

-O`ahu endemic

Kupu fern (Nephrolepis)

-sword fern

-kupu = “to sprout”

Kamapua`a fern

(Sadleria

squarrosa?)

-pink new fronds

-sori parallel to

mid-vein, in rows,

dashed.

Pala

Marattia douglasii

-native mule’s foot

fern

-resembles hapu`u

-only found in 3

spots on O`ahu

Iwaiwa lau nui

Tectaria

gaudichaudii

-new leaves smell

sweet

Carex wahuensis

-Cyperaceae

-thicker blades than

C. meyenii

Carex meyenii

-Cyperaceae

-thinner blades than

C. wahuensis

Haha

Cyanea superba

-Campanulaceae

-endangered

-only 4 “founders”

for all outplantings

-less than 100

mature plants left

Scheidea obovata

-Caryophyllaceae

-endangered

-only 240 remaining

mature plants (in

Kahanahaiki and

Makaleha)

Ha`iwale

Cyrtandra dentata

-Gesnariaceae

-approx. 700 plants

Pāpala

Charpentiera

tomentosa

-Amaranthaceae

-papery fruits

`Ie `ie

Freycinetia arborea

-Pandanaceae

-vining

-damselfly lives in

leaf axils of only

this plant

-sacred to Hawaiian

forest god, Ku

-fibers from aerial

roots used as

binding for

outrigger canoes,

fish trap baskets,

sandals

-famine food (fruits)

Schiedea nuttallii

-Caryophyllaceae

-tiny flowers

`A`ali`i

Dodonaea viscosa

-Sapindaceae

-leaves often

wrinkled

-Sacred plant of

hula goddess Laka

-Wood used for

tools, weapons

-capsules used for

dye

-medicinal (soothes

itches, rashes)

-used in lei making

`Akoko

Chamaesyce

multiformis

-Euphorbiaceae

-milky sap

-3-angled fruiting

capsules

-used for canoe hull

stain & firewood

Alahe`e

Psydrax odorata

-Rubiaceae

-white, fragrant

flowers (“ala” =

fragrance?)

-used for digging

sticks, adze blades,

black dye (leaves)

Aulu

Sapindus oahuensis

-Sapindaceae

-Rhynchogonus like

these trees

-young branches

covered with wooly

hairs

-used for house

construction,

spears, medicinal-

laxative (seeds),

soap substitute

(fruit), lei (seeds)

Kauila

Alphitonia

ponderosa

-Rhamnaceae

-very hard wood

used for weapons

-wood red/black

streaked

Kaulu

Pteralyxia

macrocarpa

-Apocynaceae

-leaves often brittle

-broad, margins

rolled or flat

-leaves resemble

plumaria

Ko`oko`olau

Bidens spp.

-Asteraceae

-medicinal tea for

general sickness,

appetite stimulant

(stems, leaves,

flowers)

Lama

Diospyros spp.

-Ebenaceae

-Black bark

-”Hawaiian Ebony”

-medicinal

-used for hula

alters, and to fence

sacred areas

-name suggests

enlightenment

Maile

Alyxia oliviformis

-Apocynaceae

-used in lei,

dedicated to hula

goddess Laka (one

of the 5 sacred

plants in her altar)

Manono

Hedyotis terminalis

-Rubiaceae

Naupaka kuahiwi

Scaevola

gaudichaudiana

-mountain naupaka

-Goodeniaceae

`Ohe

Reynoldsia

sandwicensis

-Araliaceae (ginseng

family)

`Ohe mauka

Tetraplasandra

oahuensis

-Araliaceae

Pala`a

Sphenomeris

chinensis

-sori close to edge

with covering only

at the top

Palapalai

Microlepia strigosa

-sori only at tip of

veinlets of last

segments of fronds

Papala kepau

Pisonia spp.

-Nyctaginaceae (4-

o’clock family)

-used to catch birds

Pukiawe

Styphelia

tameiameiae

-Epacridaceae

-smoke used for

cleansing

-red and brown dye

from bark

-wood used in

cremation of

outlaws

-leaves & berries

used in lei

`Uki `uki

Dianella

sandwicensis

-Liliaceae

-berries used for

dye

-leaves used for

house thatching

`Ulei

Osteomeles

anthyllidifolia

-Rosaceae

Tornatellinid

snails

-very tiny, can find

on Papala leaves

Army Snail Jail

•Built 1998

•Kevin Hall (UH) researching area surrounding

enclosure… est. ~250 tagged snails

•Designed after Tahitian version (used for reintros

of extirpated snails)

•Solar panels charge electric wires for Euglandina

control

•Overhang for rat control

•Salt on carpet for Euglandina control

•Currently ~70 snails inside enclosure

(…Pahole fence build in 1997.)