Pāʻū o Hiʻiaka
Jaquemontia ovalifolia subsp. sandwicense
Prostrate strand plants with small, alternating leaves that are light to dark green in color. Delicate flowers about 1 inch in diameter emerge from the leaf axis and range in color from lavender to white. They often look like vines crawling on the ground, but can become quite thick in some areas. In dry regions, the stems may be covered with fuzzy soft hair that helps them adapt to the harsh conditions.
He lāʻau kolo ka pāʻū o Hiʻiaka me nā lau uliuli. He pua liʻiliʻi (hoʻokahi ʻīniha ka nui) e kohu pāʻū. Ulu nupanupa ka pāʻū o Hiʻiaka, a ke ulu i ka ʻāina maloʻo, uhi ʻia nā kā i ka heu.
This endemic subspecies is commonly found throughout the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Islands on rocky coastal sites co-existing with other native strand flora like ‘ilima papa, nehe, hinahina and ‘alena.
Ulu ka pāʻū o Hiʻiaka i ʻō a ʻō o ka pae ʻāina ma kahakai. Ulu pū me nā lāʻau ʻē aʻe, e laʻa ka ʻilima papa, ka nehe, ka hinahina, me ke alena.
Leaves of Pa’u o Hi’iaka were commonly used as a cathartic as well as to treat babies with thrush. The vine like runners were braided and used as a make shift lashing when other fibers were not available.
He lāʻau lapaʻau ka pāʻū o Hiʻiaka no ka ʻea. Wili ʻia nā kā o ka pāʻū o Hiʻiaka no kekahi ʻano kaula wikiwiki; ʻaʻole naʻe ia he kaula ikaika loa e like me ka ʻaha olonā.
This is a great plant to use as a groundcover for places that are extremely dry and hot. Plant them about one foot apart to fill in nice and full. Soak the ground every other day initially, then slowly wean off. Depending on how large the planting area is, hundreds, if not thousands of flowers appear when in the plant is in bloom, which is normally constant after it becomes more established and watering is lessened.
E kanu i ka pāʻū o Hiʻiaka i kahi e pono ai ka uhi ʻana i ka lepo ma ka ʻāina maloʻo, a ma ka ʻāina wela. Hoʻokahi kapuaʻi ke kōwā ma waena o nā lāʻau ma ke kanu ʻana. E hāinu i kēlā me kēia lā, a laila e hoʻēmi i ka wai. Ke pua aʻe nā pāʻū o Hiʻiaka, ʻoi aku ka nui o nā pua i ka wai liʻiliʻi.
Pa’u o Hi’iaka means skirt of Hi’iaka who is the younger of Pele, the fire goddess. The plant gets this name from a story that has Hi’iaka waiting on the beach for Pele who is out surfing. During this time Hi’iaka falls asleep and when Pele returns she finds that her younger sister has this vine draped over her to protect her from the sun.
Ma kekahi moʻolelo, ua hoʻi o Hiʻiakaikapoliopele i ka hiamoe i kekahi wā a Pele e heʻenalu ana. I ka hoʻi ʻana o Pele, ua uhi ʻia ʻo Hiʻiaka i nā kā o kēia lāʻau i pale iā ia i ka lā.