''Pipturus albidus'', known as ''māmaki'' (sometimes ''waimea'', for its resemblance to
olomea) in
Hawaiian and known as Waimea pipturus in English, is a species of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the nettle family,
Urticaceae
The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeri ...
, that is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. It inhabits
coastal mesic,
mixed mesic, and
wet forests at elevations of . ''Māmaki'' is a small
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
that reaches a height of and a trunk diameter of .
[
]
Uses
Medicinal
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaii ...
made a treatment for illnesses known as ''ea'' and ''pāaoao'' from the
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
.
[
] They also combined fresh ''māmaki''
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
with hot stones and spring water to produce
herbal tea
Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...
that was an effective treatment for general
debility. Today, packages of dried ''māmaki'' leaves are commercially produced.
Non-medicinal
The
bast fibre
Bast fibre (also called phloem fibre or skin fibre) is plant fibre collected from the phloem (the "inner bark", sometimes called "skin") or bast surrounding the stem of certain dicotyledonous plants. It supports the conductive cells of the phl ...
s were used by Native Hawaiians to make ''
kapa
Kapa is a fabric made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales.
Description and uses
It is similar to ''tapa'' found elsewhere in Polynesia (the Hawaiian phoneme corre ...
'' (bark cloth) and ''kaula'' (
rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...
).
Ecology
''P. albidus'' is the preferred
host
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
* Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
People
*Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman
* Michel Host ...
plant for the
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s of the
Kamehameha butterfly
The Kamehameha butterfly (''Vanessa tameamea'') is one of the two species of butterfly endemic to Hawaii, the other is '' Udara blackburni''. The Hawaiian name is ''pulelehua''. This is today a catch-all native term for all butterflies; its orig ...
(''Vanessa tameamea'').
''Māmaki'' sometimes host the caterpillars of the green Hawaiian blue (''
Udara blackburni
''Udara blackburnii'', the Blackburn's bluet, green Hawaiian blue or Hawaiian blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to Hawaii.
The wingspan is 22–29 mm.
The larvae feed on '' Acacia'' species (including ''Acacia ko ...
'').
References
External links
*
albidus
Trees of Hawaii
Endemic flora of Hawaii
Hawaiian cuisine
Herbal tea
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{rosid-tree-stub