DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
- only native tree in Ni`aulani with 3-7 leaflets emerging from the same point on the leaf stem
- leaves bright yellow-green
- leaves tremble in even slight breezes
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES
- blue dye made from fruits, leaves, and bar foliage lei
- wood used for spears
- used medicinally to counteract loss of thirst
RAIN FOREST ECOLOGY
- second most abundant tree, after `ōhi`a, in many Hawaiian rain forests
- tallest are members of the secondary tree canopy, just below the taller `ōhi`a
- become established from seed on tree ferns and `ōhi`a as well as mossy logs
- also develop from seed on the forest floor in thin ōhi`a litter or moss pads
- can become a large tree because of its ability to grow aerial roots that grow down to the ground
HOW TO SAY “`Ōlapa” IN HAWAIIAN
Hawaiian Rain Forest 