Coastal Lysimachia
Lysimachia mauritiana
A low crawling herbaceous groundcover with light green, succulent leaves and white flower clusters. The leaves emerge radially out from the center giving it a nice shape, while the flower clusters protrude up above the rest of the plant, allowing them to be shown off. Once pollinated the flowers develop into small light brown seed capsules, each containing numerous, tiny, dark brown seeds
He lāʻau hihi kēia e ulu papa ma luna o ka honua. He mau lau ʻōmaʻomaʻo a he mau pua keʻokeʻo liʻiliʻi. Kupu mai nā muʻo mai ka piko o ka wēlau a kohu pua. Hua mai kekahi mau wahī ʻanoʻano ʻula liʻiliʻi a manomano nā ʻanoʻano i loko.
Seldom seen in the wild, this is the only native Lysimachia today that is indigenous and occurs at low elevations. All other native Lysimachia are considered endemic and occur in higher, wetter elevations. This plant is naturally found on coastal cliffs or rocky shorelines on the islands of Ni’ihau, Kauaʻi, Molokai, Maui and Hawaiʻi, pretty much everywhere else but O’ahu. As stated earlier this plant is indigenous therefore it is native to other places including other Pacific islands, Japan, Korea, India, Taiwan and China.
Kākaʻikahi ka ʻike ʻana i kēia lāʻau e ulu ʻāhiu ana. Ulu kēia ma kai ma nā pali kahakai a me ka ʻāpapa pōhaku i kai ma Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, Maui a ma Hawaiʻi. Ulu hoʻi kēia lāʻau ma nā mokupuni Pakipika ʻē aʻe, Iāpana, Kōlea, ʻĪnia, Taiuana, a ma
Other than using the flower clusters in head lei, there are no other known uses for this plant in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi culture
Wili ʻia nā pua i loko o nā lei poʻo.
This plant looks great planted around large landscape stones or when used as a bedding plant. It doesn’t spread far, at about 1 square foot, so space accordingly. Few pests are known to bother this plant, but if some sort of infestation does occur, proper application of store-bought pesticides will not harm the plant. This plant is naturally short-lived so don’t be concerned if it slowly dies after one to two years, its natural. Ideally, the plant would have set a bunch of seeds and your next round of plants should germinate shortly after that. Other than that it is still a very attractive plant and for a limited time it is available at the Home Depot in Town and Pearl City for about $6.
Nani ke kanu ʻana i kahi o nā pōhaku. ʻAʻole nō ākea kēia lāʻau, hoʻokahi wale nō kapuaʻi kuea ke ākea. ʻAʻole nō nui nā mū e hoʻopilikia i kēia lāʻau. Pōkole nō hoʻi ke ola ʻana o kēia lāʻau, hoʻokahi a ʻelua paha makahiki ka lōʻihi loa. Akā ma hope o ka hala ʻana, nui hou aku nā pulapula o nei lāʻau.
Although not found on O’ahu today its hard to say that this plant was never found here. This plant occurs naturally where many migratory birds forage so it could easily be transported from island to island. Who knows, maybe someday this plant will naturally occur here again in the future.
I kēia wā, ʻaʻole nō ulu kēia lāʻau ma Oʻahu, akā ʻokoʻa paha ma ka wā kahiko. Kupu mai kēia lāʻau i nā wahi e hele ai nā manu neʻekau. No laila, ma Oʻahu nō hoʻi paha i ulu ai kēia lāʻau ma ka wā kahiko.