DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
- small tree usually less than 15-20 feet tall
- leaves attached in pairs, opposite each on stems
- very small, leaf-like structures (stipules) attached opposite each other on the stem, just above the point of attachment of the leaf pairs; best seen on young shoots
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES
- berries used as a laxative
RAIN FOREST ECOLOGY
- component of the tree fern layer, along with olomea and manono
- fast growing but short lived species
- becoming established after ginger removal, typically in thin leaf litter, but occasionally on a nurse log or very occasional as an epiphyte
- grows in full light to deeply shady conditions
HOW TO SAY “PILO” in HAWAIIAN