Other Plants ...

`Awa; Kawa
Piper methysticum
Family: Piperaceae
Native of the Pacific islands, the `awa was brought to Hawaii by the early Polynesians. The distribution of the plant has been the result of people migrations as the plant was extensively used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. This plant also supplied a drink that was a stimulant or a depressant depending on the quantity consumed. It was stated that over indulgence of the drink over a period of time could affect the skin and eyes though what the effects were is not known.

The plant is a large shrub attaining heights of up to 12 feet. The branches and stems are not woody and resemble the bamboo as they are jointed in a similar way. Leaves appear at the joints on short petioles and are fairly large sized. Leaves are heart shaped and prominently veined. Flowers are found on narrow spikes. There are many different kinds of `awa classified by the type of leaves, bark, roots, and color. The variation determines the particular use of the plant. Particular ailments required that a certain kind of `awa be used and it had to be prepared in a specific way. The usual drink was prepared by chewing or pounding the partly dried roots, which was then mixed in about three pints of water. The mixture was strained through the fibers of a particular kind of sedge, the liquid boiled, allowed to cool to the proper temperature then taken as a drink. Spring water was recommended in the preparation of the drink.

Black Bamboo; Pring Wulung
Gigantochloa atroviolacea
A large clump of Black Bamboo is found next to the tiger's night house. It is grown on the island of Bali and in some locations on Sumatra, the name it is known by there is Pring Wulung; Balinese for "black bamboo", "pring" is the word that means "bamboo". This bamboo can grow to a height of more than forty feet.

Notice the culm leaves ready to fall from the culm in the photo on the right.

Mexican Weeping Bamboo
Otatea accuminata aztecorum
The delicate leaves of weeping bamboo near the educational building are Mexican Weeping Bamboo. This bamboo is drought tolerant and easy to grow. It has a lacy and drooping effect and can grow to more than twenty feet. It is a clumping bamboo but can spread several feet in each direction yearly.

Bamboo is classified as a woody member of the grass family, Gramineae; but some taxonomists feel it should be in a family of its own; Bambuseaceae. There are about 1500 species of bamboo that are divided into about 80 genera. These are divided into two kinds: running or ‘monopodial’, and clumping or ‘sympodial’ with entirely different growth patterns. There are only clumping varieties in the zoo collection.

The clumping bamboo grows from buds on rhizomes. In some, the young shoots are edible, being 98% water. The shoots called culm are wrapped with culm leaves, which provide strength until the pole develops enough fiber to become self-supporting. These culm leaves are attached to the nodes and in most species die and drop off when they are no longer needed. Most culms are hollow, woody and round which, are divided into compartments by the nodes.

The large clumping bamboo collection at the zoo has been donated and planted by Darlene Lundstrom, Len Lundstrom, and the Bamboo Society.




Banana; Mai'a
Musa spp.
Family: Musaceae
The many species of banana cultivated worldwide are natives of the Old World tropics. Along with the edible species with their many cultivars are species grown for other uses such as thatching, fibers for clothing and hemp, animal fodder, for production of dyes, and for the immature flowers and leaf buds for use as vegetables. Legends and proverbs about this plant abound in countries where it is grown. Although the fresh fruit of the edible forms are commercially important, cooking bananas are much more preferred in many areas. A great number of the varieties brought to Hawaii by the early Polynesians have been lost.



Daylilies
Hemerocallis
Family: Liliaceae
Native to China, they were thought to have been brought to Europe in the 1500’s. Like the herbs of today, they were moved from the forests into the garden and used in cooking. Amazingly, daylilies have more vitamins than many of today’s commonly eaten vegetables.

Daylilies are perennials. Some are dormant or deciduous (lose their foliage) and others are evergreens. Evergreens are best for Hawaii. They will grow at any altitude however the higher up they are grown the longer the bloom season. Daylilies are not bulbs but instead have tuberous, somewhat fleshy roots. They have strap or grass-like leaves that arch gracefully making clumps attractive even when not in bloom. Clusters of lily-like blooms appear at the top of a mostly leafless stem, known as a scape, which grows above the foliage. Sometimes there is branching on the scape allowing for multiple blooms each day. The daylily bloom itself is only open for one day hence the name Hemerocallis, “beautiful for a day”. Plants are propagated mainly by division, which will provide an exact replica of the parent plant. They can also be propagated by pollinating the blooms for seed, but this will not guarantee an identical plant. Modern day hybridizing has allowed daylilies to come in a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes, except blue, and have many special features such as patterned eye zones and ruffled picoteed edges.

Daylilies are excellent plants for control of soil erosion and are quite drought tolerant although they prefer and thrive with ample water. They should be grown in full sun and have good drainage. They will adapt well to almost any kind of soil but do best when lots of organic matter is present. Almost pest free, daylilies will occasionally get aphids but this is generally only during dry periods and they can be easily washed away with a good hosing. A relatively new pest, Puccinia Hemerocallis or daylily rust, affects mainly the foliage.

Information provided by Rachel Leyva of Mauna Kea Daylily Gardens (an official Display Garden for the American Hemerocallis Society) with over 300 varieties of daylilies. See Credits & Links page for more information.



Monstera; Swiss Cheese Plant
Monstera deliciosa
Family: Araceae
Native to Central America, this woody vine can cling to tree trunks until it has climbed more than 100’. It has large hooded flowers with pineapple like phallus shaped fruits. When ripe they have a delicious tropical fruit flavor. Monstera is the leaf being held by a monkey in the zoo’s logo.



Sago Palm
Cycas revoluta
Family: Cycadaceae
Although given the common local name of Sago palm, this species is not a palm but a member of an evolutionarily old group of plants. It is native to China and Japan. Popular for landscaping use, this species is slow growing and does not attain great size. Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants, the males consisting of an erect cone containing pollen-bearing scales while the females produce a woolly appendage that has the seeds along the edges. The seeds are poisonous in the raw state.



Sugar Cane; Ko
Saccarhum officinarum
Family: Gramineae
This cultivated perennial grass is the producer of a valuable commercial product. Although sugar cane cultivation is widespread, the plants' possible origin is Indo-Malaysia where it may have been developed from a wild ancestral type. Presently the varieties available for commercial plantings are hybridized cultivars developed for disease resistance or for high yields. Early Polynesians introduced sugar cane to Hawaii but many of the early varieties they introduced have been lost. The first sugar company was formed on Kauai during the 1830's but small scale local processing was reported to have been going on prior to that date. The resultant industry that developed from this initial venture on Kauai has had a tremendous social, economic, and political impact on Hawaii's history.





Taro; Kalo
Colocasia esculenta
Family: Araceae
Taro has been cultivated as a food in many countries within the tropical belt, subtropics, or in countries with a warm climate. Because of its widespread cultivation many varieties and cultivars have been developed. As an example the early Polynesians had several hundred different forms cultivated for size, shape, leaves, stalks, texture, color, or use. Taro was further differentiated into wetland or upland types. The plants contain calcium oxalate crystals and thorough cooking is required to neutralize the crystals' activity. The cooked corms are high in carbohydrates, provides minerals, and vitamins A and B while the leaves are a good source of minerals and vitamins A, B, and C.

Taro was the staple of the Hawaiians and when baked and pounded into a dough-like paste called aipaa would store for several months if properly wrapped in leaves of ti. Aipaa was the food taken on journeys. Aipaa diluted with water forming a soft paste was called poi. Today taro production is very limited. There are small plantings of the wetland type for commercial poi production and upland taro is confined to the Chinese taro for fresh marketing or for taro chips.

Ti; Ki
Cordyline terminalis
Family: Liliacea
Native to Asia, Australia, and the tropical Pacific, the ti was introduced into Hawaii by the early Polynesians. Leaves are formed in a spiral arrangement at the branch tip. Ti plants can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. The plant is grown as an ornamental, for practical use, for religious use, or as a hobby by collectors as there are many varietals and hybrid forms available. The ti has been closely associated with the life of the Hawaiian peoples. They used the leaves as house thatch, rainwear, sandals, wrapping for food and platters. The young shoots were used to treat boils and warts. Other parts of the plant were used medicinally. Roots were made into a confection by baking. When planted around houses it is believed to bring good luck. In religious ceremonies the ti is a symbol of divine power. During battle in the old days a stalk of ti was a sign of surrender.



Tree Fern; Hapu`u `i`i; Hapu`u; Male Tree Fern
Cibotium menziesii formerly C. chamissoi
Family: Dicksoniaceae
This is the largest of Hawaii's endemic tree ferns distinguished from the other species by the reddish or black bristly growth along the full length of the frond stem. It can grow up to 35 feet tall but is usually 7-25 feet with a trunk up to 2 1/2 ' in diameter and arching fronds as long as 12 feet. As in the other species, the trunk has an inner core of starchy material that was used as food and which, unfortunately, is favored by feral pigs. The outer part of the trunk is composed of stiff hard fibers. The tree ferns are being decimated by the commercial uses of the trunk as potting media, decorative uses, shade for anthuriums, and for the nursery trade. Local residents mistakenly call this species the male tree fern.




Tree Fern; Hapu`u; Hapu`u-pulu;
Blond Tree Fern; Female Tree Fern
Cibotium glaucum formerly C. splendens
Family: Dicksoniaceae
This is another of the endemic species of tree ferns characterized by the soft brownish-yellow cotton-like growth on the stem fronds. This growth called "pulu" was used by the Hawaiians as a dressing for wounds and for embalming the dead. In the 1800's pulu was gathered commercially for use as stuffing for pillows and mattresses, this is now illegal. A high quality starch was also processed from the pith of the tree fern species. The young coiled frond shoots are harvested for food especially by Asians. Processing the shoots is a laborious work of cleaning, sackings, boiling and more soaking with frequent changes of water to extract the bitter sap. The result is a delicious product that is prepared in various ethnic dishes. Harvesting of the shoots is done during certain seasons of the year and should be done discriminately to minimize harvest impact on the plants. Over-harvesting for orchid media and landscaping use and clearing for development have drastically reduced the populations of this endemic tree fern. It's trunk can reach 25 feet tall but is most often 6 to 10 feet with fronds as long as 9 feet. Cibotium sp.

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