ʻŌhā (Delissea)
Delissea rhytidosperma
This is a type of native lobelia (family Campanulaceae) with herbaceous stems that sometimes branch, it also has a rosette type arrangement of leaves that cluster toward the tips of the branches and curved tubular flowers. Each leaf is elliptical in shape, about 4-10 inches long and 2 inches wide with margins that are pointedly serrated. The flowers are whitish-green and about 11/2″ long and later fade to a dark maroon before falling off. The petals are small, pointed and narrow and the stamen is situated so that it perfectly dabs pollen on the head of native nectar feeding birds so that they can pollinate other flowers in return. This flower design is common among native lobelias that have co-evolved with native avifauna. Once pollinated, the flowers develop into small, fleshy fruit that are dark maroon, about ¾” round and are filled with many tiny seeds.
He lāʻau kēia no ka ʻohana akeakamai Campanulaceae. Ulu nā lau e kohu like me ka pua loke. Oloolo nā lau, ʻehā a ʻumi ʻīniha ka lōʻihi a ʻelua ʻīniha ke ākea a ʻano kalakala ke kaʻe lau. He pua hākeʻokeʻo/ʻōmaʻomaʻo, ʻumikūmākahi ʻīniha ka lōʻihi, a ke mae, ʻula iho ka pua ma mua o ka heleleʻi ʻana. Liʻiliʻi nā lihilihi o ka pua, a ʻoi aku ka pōuleule ʻāwini. Ke mūkīkī nā manu i ka wai o ka pua, pā ka pōuleule i ka lae o ka manu i hoʻēhu i nā pua ʻē aʻe. He welo ʻohana kēia no ka ʻohana ʻōhā. Hua mai nā hua liʻiliʻi, he hua ʻulaʻula, 0.75 ʻīniha. Nui nā ʻanoʻano i loko o kēia mau hua.
This plant species belongs to an endemic genus of native lobelias known as Delissea. It is also an endangered species that is found only in remote mesic forests of Kaua’i, there are less than 20 plants known to be left in the wild.
No ke ʻanonaa akeakamai ʻo Delissea kēia lāʻau, he ʻanona ʻāpaʻakuma no kēia pae ʻāina nei. A kākaʻikahi kēia ʻano ʻōhā i ulu ma ka wao maʻukele o Kauaʻi e hele ʻole ʻia e nā kānaka. Iwakālua wale nō paha ʻōhā o kēia ʻano i koe ma ka ulu ʻāhiu ʻana.
There are no known cultural uses of this particular plant but it is known that other members of this family are used as bait to catch birds. Bird catchers would place sticky glue made from the fruit sap of papala kepau (Pisonia spp.) on the branch that the bird would perch on to feed, it would then become stuck to the branch making it easy to retrieve. The flowers of many other species of the family Campanulaceae are also used in making lei.
ʻAʻole maopopo ka hana a nā kūpuna no kēia lāʻau, akā hoʻohana ʻia kekahi ʻano ʻōhā ʻē aʻe no ka maunu e kāpili manu ai. Uhi ʻia kekahi lālā i ke kēpau o ka pāpala kēpau (Pisonia spp.) a laila paʻa ka manu i ka lālā.
Delissea look great as specimen plants around larger landscaping stones or at the base of other larger trees or tall hapu’u ferns. Plant them in filtered sunlight and give them water about 3-4 times a week making sure not to over saturate them. Before you know it, you will be gazing at their interesting flowers and attractive fruit. Watch out for mites and mealy bugs that may occasionally distort the shape of the leaves and either make them spotty or crinkly or both. You can treat the problem manually by smooshing them with your fingers or spraying the underside of the leaves with water. You can also treat them by spraying pesticides. Right now this extremely rare plant is available at the Home Depots on O’ahu and Kaua’i for about $9.
E kanu paha i kēia lāʻau ma kahi o nā pōhaku nui, a i ʻole ma lalo o nā kumulāʻau nui, a ma lalo hoʻi o nā hāpuʻu kiʻekiʻe. He mea maikaʻi ia ʻano malu no ka ulu pono ʻana o ka ʻōhā. ʻEkolu a ʻehā paha hāinu ʻana o kekahi pule. Mai pulu loa ka lepo. Inā hana pēlā, pua koke ana nā pua māhiehie o ka ʻōhā. E makaʻala i nā mū ona a me nā ane ʻuku e minomino ai nā lau. E ʻūpiki i ia mau mū i ka lima, a kī paha i ka wai iā lalo o nā lau.
Recently this plant has been divided into two separate species D. rhytidosperma and D. kauaiense based on morphological differences and population localities. These two along with D. subcordata of O’ahu (which may also be split as well soon) are believed to be the last three surviving species of ten species of Delissea that were once documented from Hawaiʻi. Both Kaua’i species are listed as endangered and the O’ahu species is listed as threatened and all are on their way to share the same fate as the rest of the Delissea genus if more action is not taken to prevent this.
Ma ke ao akeakamai, ua wae ʻia kēia mau lāʻau i ʻelua lāhui ʻokoʻa, D. rhytidosperma, a D. kauaiense. ʻO ia mau lāhui a me ko Oʻahu D. subcordata nā ʻano i koe o nā lāhui ʻumi o Delissea i kākau ʻia no Hawaiʻi. ʻAne nalowale loa ko Kauaʻi ʻōhā, a ke kākaʻikahi nei ko Oʻahu ʻōhā. E aho e mālama i nā ʻōhā i koe.