succulent perennial herbs mostly without hairs and usually with thick, red stems
leaves attached opposite each other on stems, in pairs or whorls of three or four leaves along the stem
underside of leaf often (but not always) red between the pale green veins
flowers minute, clustered on narrow, round spikes less than three inches long
two other species of `ala `ala wai nui found in Niaulani;Peperomia cookiana is similar, often with
red stems and leaves, cloaked in a mat of hairs; leaves of the much rarer P. membranaceum
mostly without hairs and also without red undersides, flowering stems longer than three inches
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES
combined with other plant species to treat a wide variety of syndromes in Hawaiian medicine
HAWAIIAN RAIN FOREST ECOLOGY
grow out of the soil on the forest floor, on nurse logs, and less commonly as an epiphyte
original `ala `ala wai nui on the forest floor in Niaulani were probably displaced by kahili ginger which shaded them out
species in Niaulani planted by the VAC caretaker in late 1990’s; all plantings found along or near the nature trail
many planted colonies in Niaulani are spreading around their planted parents, mostly vegetatively by rooting from horizontal stems
may also be spreading by seed
patch of `ALA`ALA WAI NUI (PEPEROMIA HYPOLEUCA) found along the Niaulani Nature Trail
small tree fern with trunks potentially up to six feet tall
trunk covered with old frond bases and mats of dark scales
dense mat of large, brown or yellow brown scales at base of stipe (main stem) of frond
fronds usually reddish when unfolding from a fiddlehead
frond blade divided no more than twice
spore producing body linear, single, in middle of smallest blade segment
blade underside greenish and veins apparent when backlighted
a similar sized `ama`u (Sadleria cyatheoides) found on edge of forest or big gaps; underside of blade whitish green, veins not visible
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES
uses for Sadleria cyatheoides are reported; S. pallida possibly used in similar ways by Hawaiians living near wet forest where S. pallida found
fronds used for thatching hale, particularly finishing the ridge
starch core eaten as starvation food
young leaves cooked and eaten
red dye made from outer part of the trunk
HAWAIIAN RAIN FOREST ECOLOGY
sadleria pallida an understory rain forest species, tolerating partial shade but not growing under dense tree fern canopy; growing in gaps in tree fern canopy at Niaulani
scattered small `ama`u ferns in Niaulani with short 1-2 foot trunks, young, reflecting recent recovery after ginger removal
develop 4-6 feet tall trunks
abundant in understory of local rain forest without dense tree fern canopy
eaten by non-native pigs
entire `AMA`U (SADLERIA PALLIDA) fern inside of a Hawaiian rain forest.
trunks up to 15-20 feet tall with surface of trunk tightly woven dark roots or former frond bases
frond base covered with dense mats of soft, silky yellowish brown hairs and scales (pulu)
patches of pulu on trunks cover buds of small fiddleheads
undersides of frond blade whitish-green
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES
starchy core eaten as starvation food
pulu used to absorb body fluids prior to burial
some reports of pulu being used to stuff pillows and mattresses but others find no evidence of this
trunk hollowed to cultivate uhi (yams)
used medicinally as “blood purifier”, apettite stimulant, and for chest pains and other ailments
HAWAIIAN RAIN FOREST ECOLOGY
survived four decades of kahili ginger because fronds overtopped ginger canopy
most common host for epiphytic `ōhi`a, `ōlapa, kāwa`u, and kōlea trees
most important nurse log in forest, once moss cover develops on surface of fallen trunks
seedling establishment of native trees inhibited in areas of Niaulani with dense tree fern canopy; mostly on nurse logs or as epiphytes
hāpu`u pulu tree fern strongly influence forest floor
vegetation, reduce light, create long-lasting thick litter on forest floor, and drop heavy fronds that injure seedlings
tree ferns unnaturally dense? Survived kahili ginger invasion that reduced its native plant competitors, and poised to recover rapid once ginger removed
older hāpu`u pulu with leaning trunks fall over and resprout from top of trunk or pulu covered buds on side of trunk
Several HᾹPU`U PULU (CIBOTIUM GLAUCUM) ferns within the Niaulani Rain Forest
upright woody shrub, with tallest stems more than six feet
leaves opposite each other on the stem; often three leaves attached in a whorl at same point on the stem
veins on leaves deeply recessed on upper surface and projecting downward on lower surface
margin of leaves with forward pointing teeth
leaves look similar to its cousin, the ornamental hydrangea (flowers very different)
kanawao is a endemic native Hawaiian plant
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN USES
none described in the standard references
HAWAIIAN RAIN FOREST ECOLOGY
common, sometimes dense shrub in undisturbed rain forest and the most abundant native shrub in Niaulani Rain Forest
although the female plants produce fruits, kanawao mostly spreads by sprouts emerging from underground roots
kanawao is disturbed by feral pigs who uproot and damage the roots that produce new upright stems
fencing in the 20th century at Niaulani helped protect this species at Niaulani which is uncommon in surrounding areas
kanawao grows taller than kahili ginger and so survived four decades of ginger dominance in the understory
in Niaulani, without pigs or ginger, the 15 or so scattered, surviving kanawao colonies are now expanding by root sprouts, with noticeable numbers of young, short, upright stems
A cluster of kanawao, a native Hawaiian rain forest shrub, inside of Niaulani
SAY IT IN HAWAIIAN!!
Meet Ni'aulani, in Volcano Village on Hawai' Island
Hawaiian Rain Forest 