Scientific Names

Question 1

Maranta Arundi-nacea

Answer 1

CN: West Indian / Bermuda Arrowroot

HN: None

FN: Marantaceae

DISC: Slender herb 1-3ft. high.
Leaves are thin and oblong.
Few flowers, usually white.

USES: Tubers cooked fresh, eaten as vegetables.
Starch made from tubers.
Juice extract to treat bug bites.

Question 2

Piper Methysticum

Answer 2

CN: ‘Awa

HN: ‘Awa

FN: Piperaceae

DISC: Perennial. Branching shrub 4-12ft. high.
Leaves are Cordate (heart shaped) and Palmately-Veined.
Male and female flowers born on separate clusters.

USES: Medicine (muscles, chills, headaches, colds, Asthma)
Ritual offering to Laka.
Narcotic Drink.

Question 3

Bambusa Vulgaris

Answer 3

CN: Hawaiian Bamboo

HN: ‘Ohe Hawaii

FN: Poaceae

DISC: Perennial. Dense clumps 50+ ft. high.
Leafy clusters of flowers.

USES: Nose Flutes.
Fringed bamboo rattle Pu’ili
Woven into hats and mats.

Question 4

Schizo-stachyum Glauci-folium

Answer 4

CN: “plain” Bamboo

HN: ‘Ohe Kahiki

FN: Poaceae

DISC: Perennial. Open clumps 9-15ft high.
Leaves covered in waxy secretions.

USES: Fishing Rods.
Framework for house construction.
Canoe outriggers.

Question 5

Musa Paradisiaca

Answer 5

CN: Banana

HN: Mai’a

FN: Musaceae

DISC: Fruit bearing trees.
Exposed flowers in double rows.
Fruits vary in shape and size, usually long a fat. Yellow when ripe.

USES: Edible Fruit high in vitamin K and potassium.
Banana leaves used to cover food to cook.
Fibers used to string leis.

Question 6

Autocarpus Communis

Answer 6

CN: Breadfruit

HN: ‘Ulu

FN: Moraceae

DISC: Tropical Tree. 30-60ft high.
Large leaves, usually entire or serrated.
All parts of plant exude milky sap.
Male is club shaped, spikey, and covered in thousands of staminate flowers with pollen.
Female is round with hundreds of appressed pistillate flowers.

USES: Trunk used to make drums, surfboards, poi boards, tapa, and canoes.
Leaf used as sandpaper for polishing.
Fruit good source of starch and vitamin B.
Fruit can be made into poi or pudding.
Latex used for certain skin diseases.

Question 7

Cocos Nucifera

Answer 7

CN: Coconut Tree

HN: Niu

FN: Arecaceae

DISC: Up to 100ft. tall, with clusters of leaves at top of trunk.
Leaves flat, compound, 6-18ft long with 100 more or less leaflets, and prominent midrib.
Contains both male and female flowers.
Thousands of Male flowers, open for one day only, takes 1 month for all to open.
Female flowerers eventually become Coconut Fruit.

USES: Trunk used as food containers (Umeke) and large hula drums (Pahu).
Leaves used to thatch homes, make baskets, used as fans and brooms.
Husk used for fuel.
Shell used to make cooking utensils, and eating and drinking bowls.
Flesh / Meat was edible. Used to make haupia.

Question 8

Zingiber Zerumbet

Answer 8

CN: Wild / “Shampoo” Ginger

HN: ‘Awapuhi kiahiwi, ‘Opuhi

FN: Zingiberaceae

DISC: 1-3ft. high, and bears about a dozen leaves arranged in two vertical rows. Alternate arrangement.
Flower grows at bad of plant.

USES: Stem: Dried, powdered, and used as perfume for tapa.
Flower Juice: contains water, used to quench thirst. And used as shampoo for ancient Hawaiians.

Question 9

Crescentia Cujete

Answer 9

CN: Calabash Tree

HN: La’amia

FN: Bignoniaceae

DISC: Low tree with short trunk and long spreading or drooping branches.
Leaves arranges spirally, or in tufts on branches.
Flowers are solitary or in small clusters, open at night, and unpleasant odor.
Fruits are hard shelled and contains pulp filled with many seeds.

USES: Hawaiians made rattles called ‘uli’uli.

Question 10

Coffea Arabica

Answer 10

CN: Coffee

HN: Kope

FN: Rubiaceae

DISC: Shrub or small tree up to 15ft. or more.
Leaves are evergreen, oval, pointed tip, and arranged opposite on branch.
Flowers are bisexual, white, and fragrant.
Fruit is an ovoid berry or drupe containing 2 half-ovoid seeds.

USES: Roasted and consumed by all ethnic groups as a beverage.
* Cosmetic benefits to reduce cellulite.

Question 11

Cibotium Splendens

Answer 11

CN: Hawaiian Tree Fern

HN: Hapu’u

FN: Cibotiaceae

DISC: Fern. False trunk, can reach about 15ft high.
Leaves nearly triangular in shape.
Fronds intricately divided , with numerous pinnae subdivided into numerous pinnules.
Spores serve in place of seeds.

USES: Used around 1850 to stuff mattresses and pillows.
Interior of trunk is full of starch.
Frond used to make hats.

Question 12

Microsorium Scolopendria

Answer 12

CN: Maile-Scented Fern

HN: Laua’e

FN: Polypodiaceae

DISC: Grows up to 3ft high.
Fronds are broad, flat, oblong, simple or lobed.
Spores on underside of frond.

USES: Used for leis, bits being strung with flowers.

Question 13

Zingiber Zerumbet

Answer 13

CN: Shampoo Ginger

HN: ‘Awapuhi

FN: Zingiberaceae

DISC: 1-3ft high.
Bears about a dozen leaves arranged in two vertical rows alternately.
Flower is, clubbed-shaped head or cluster, with red overlapping, closely appressed bracts.

USES: Underground stem used to perfume Hawaiian tapa’.
Sudsy juice used as shampoo, or to quench thirst.
Stalks with leaves used to flavor Pig.

Question 14

Zingiber Officinale

Answer 14

CN: Common Ginger

HN: ‘Awapuhi Pake

FN: Zingiberaceae

DISC: 2-4ft tall.
Leaves are smooth long and narrow.
Flower head on separate stalk.
Flowers are yellow-green, purple, and sometimes pink.

USES: Medicine for ingestion and fever.
Dried and ground for a spice.

Question 15

Hedychium Flavescens

Answer 15

CN: Cream Ginger

HN: ‘Awapuhi Melemele

FN: Zingiberaceae

DISC: About 3ft tall.
Leaves are smooth, oblong. Alternating in two rows along stem.
Flowers born in spike, with overlapping bracts, in two or more spiral rows.
Flowers are creamy colored with light orange, heart-shaped spot at center.

USES: Primarily used for leis.

Question 16

Hedychium Coronarium

Answer 16

CN: White Ginger,

HN: ‘Awapuhi Ke’oke’o

FN: Zingiberaceae

DISC: About 3ft tall.
Leaves are smooth, oblong. Alternating in two rows along stem.
Flowers born in spike, with overlapping bracts, in two or more spiral rows.
Flowers larger than Creamy ginger.
Flowers are pure white with pale greenish heart-shaped spot at center.

USES: Leis and Commercial perfumes.

Question 17

Curcuma Domestica

Answer 17

CN: Tumeric

HN: ‘Olena

FN: Zingiberaceae

DISC: Stemless with several leaves rising in a cluster 20in. or more high.
Flower cluster is cylindrical and consists of large, pale green curved bracts, each with 2 or more pale yellow flowers.

USES: Ceremonially used to purify objects, places, and people.
Medicinal use to cure tuberculosis and ear ache.
Young roots used as a dye because of light yellow color.

Question 18

Hibiscus Tiliaceus

Answer 18

CN: Sea Hibiscus

HN: Hau

FN: Malvaceae

DISC: Small tree growing near mountains and the ocean.
Leaves are cordate (heart) shaped; margin is entire or scalloped.
Flowers petals are bright or sulfur yellow in color.

USES: Stems used to make rope.
Bark used as a cork for gourds or sealing cracks in boats.
Bark used to make fishing net floats and canoe floats.
Flowers used as laxative.

Question 19

Calophyllum Inophyllum

Answer 19

CN: True Kamani / Alexandrian Laurel

HN: Kamani

FN: Guttiferae / Calophyllaceae

DISC: Handsome tree up to 60ft. tall.
Leaves are oblong shaped, margin is entire (smooth).
Veination is parallel and
closely placed together.
Flowers occur in clusters with white petals.
Flowers are perfect (Both male and female) and very fragrant.

USES: Wood used to make cabinets and boats.
Seed oil extracted for stone lamps.

Question 20

Terminalia Catappa

Answer 20

CN: False Kamani / Tropical Almond / Java Almond

HN: Kamani-Haole

FN: Combretaceae

DISC: Small to large tree.
Leaves are invert-ovate in shape and blunt tip.
Flowers born on spikes and have no petals.
Only male flowers, sometimes male with few perfect at base of spike.

USES: Roots, bark, leaves, and fruit used for medicine.
Wood used for timber.
Fruit used for dyes and ink.

Question 21

Acacia Koa

Answer 21

CN: Koa

HN: Koa

FN: Fabaceae

DISC: Tall tree reaching up to 70ft.
Leaf Stems are flat, smooth, and crescent (sickle) shaped. Compound or bipinate.
Flower heads are globular (clustered)
and are perfect.
Flowers ideally symmetrical and yellow in color.

USES: Wood used to make canoes and paddles.
Trunk and Branches used as house posts.

Question 22

Cordia Subcordata

Answer 22

CN: True Kou / Sea Trumpet

HN: Kou

FN: Boraginaceae

DISC: Small evergreen tree about 30ft. tall.
Wood beautifully marked and colored.
Leaf blades entire (smooth) or wavy-edged.
Flower is scentless.

USES: A favorite shade tree around houses and by the seashore.
Wood used to make dishes (Platters and bowls)
Red dye obtained from leaves.
Flowers strung for leis.

Question 23

Cordia Sebestena

Answer 23

CN: False Kou / Geiger Tree

HN: Kou-haole

FN: Boraginaceae

DISC: Evergreen shrub or small tree.
Leaves oval shaped, wrinkled, and soft texture.
Flowers orange or scarlet and creapy.

USES: Edible fruit, and medical use for most parts of the plant.

Question 24

Aleurites Moluccana

Answer 24

CN: Candlenut Tree

HN: Kukui

FN: Euphoribaceae

DISC: Tall tree
Leaves vary in shape and size. Somewhat like maple leaves.
Both Male and female blowers on same inflorescence.

USES: Juice used to make black dye for tapa and tattooing.
Sap used medically for a purge.
Used to make leis.
Leaves used for swelling and infection.

Question 25

Metrosideros Collina

Answer 25

CN: Ohia

HN: ‘Ohia’a Lehua

FN: Myrtaceae

DISC: Tall or low shrub
A great variety of leaf shapes ranging from wide to narrow.
Flowers are red , yellow, pink, white, green, and purple.
Flowers contain abundant nectar.
Sap is red.

USES: Wood used to carve idols, spears, and mallets.
Medicinal tonics.