Naupaka papa
Scaevola coriacea
A slow-growing prostrate ground cover no more than 6 inches tall with succulent, glossy, dark-green leaves and typical naupaka half-flowers. Once pollinated, these flowers turn into small black fruit about a quarter- to a half-inch across, containing a single seed. This attractive plant closely resembles a jade plant.
He lāʻau kolo ka naupaka papa (ʻeono wale nō ʻīniha ka haʻahaʻa). He lau uliuli hinuhinu a he pua hapalua ko ka naupaka papa. He hua ʻeleʻele liʻiliʻi, hoʻokahi ʻanoʻano i loko. Kohu nukukikiwi ka naupaka papa.
This endangered native ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi plant was formerly found on sand dunes and rocky coastlines of all the main islands, except Kahoʻolawe, but is now restricted to small a population on Maui and off-shore islets of both Maui and Molokai.
Ulu ka naupaka papa ma nā puʻu one a ma ka māwae pōhaku ma kahakai ma nā mokupuni a pau o ka pae ʻāina, koe ʻo Kahoʻolawe. I kēia wā, ma Maui a ma kekahi mau moku kele ma Maui me Molokaʻi wale nō e ulu ai.
None are known, most likely because this plant was always rare.
ʻAʻole maopopo ka hana o ka naupaka papa. Kākaʻikahi ka naupaka papa i kēia wā, a pēlā hoʻi ma ka wā kahiko.
Naupaka papa looks awesome as either an accent plant around rocks or, if enough are planted, as a ground cover. It is a slow grower, so you may want to place plants closer together than you would with other ground covers. But once it reaches the desired size, you won’t have to prune it very often. Few pests mess with it — probably because its leaves are thick and waxy. It requires little water once established. Full sun is best for the plant’s health, making it flower profusely and look more full. Naupaka papa can be grown from seeds found within the fruit or from cuttings, but success rates are low. On average only about 50 percent take root, while we can get close to 100 percent with the common beach naupaka.
Nani ka naupaka papa ma kahi o nā pōhaku, a no ka uhi ʻana i ka lepo. Ulu lohi, no laila, e aho paha e kanu kokoke. ʻAʻole pono ka paʻipaʻi mau ʻana, ʻoiai, haʻahaʻa ka naupaka papa. ʻAʻole nui nā mū e pilikia ai ka naupaka papa ma muli paha o nā lau mānoanoa. ʻAʻole pono ka wai he nui. E kanu i kahi e pā nui ai ka lā. Hiki ke kanu i nā ʻanoʻano a hiki ke kākiwi i nā lālā; akā ʻaʻole nui nā pulapula (kanalima pakeneka paha ka holo pono o ke kākiwi ʻana).
It is believed that all nine species of naupaka (two coastal and seven mountain) came from three separate colonizations: one for the common beach naupaka, which is indigenous; another for ‘ohe naupaka (S. glabra), a spectacular mountain species with large tubular yellow flowers not typical of naupaka; and finally a third colonization covering all the rest of the species, including six mountain species and this coastal one.
It is hard to trace this plant’s lineage, as it has characteristics of both the common beach species — such as habitat — but the small black fruit resemble those of the mountain species.
Manaʻo ʻia, ʻekolu naupaka kupuna ʻokoʻa i loaʻa ai nā ʻano naupaka o kēia wā. Hoʻokahi wale nō naupaka ʻāpaʻakuma o ka pae ʻāina. ʻO ke kupuna o ka naupaka kahakai kekahi o nā kūpuna ʻekolu, a pae ma kēia pae ʻāina i ka lana ʻana o ka hua i ke kai. ʻO kekahi kupuna naupaka, ʻo ia ka ʻohe naupaka. A na kekahi kupuna ʻē aʻe nā ʻano naupaka ʻē aʻe.
Paʻakikī naʻe ka hahai ʻana i ke kūʻauhau o ka naupaka papa, akā, he welo nā hua ʻeleʻele liʻiliʻi no ke kūʻauhau o ka naupaka kuahiwi.