Description: ʻUhaloa or Sleepy morning Malvaceae (Mallow family) Indigenous? to the Hawaiian Islands Pearl City, Oʻahu Habit
www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/5002209884/in/photostream/ Early Hawaiians used ʻuhaloa medicinally for asthma, neuralgia, and a pain killer when mixed with other plants. Leaves were pounded and used for filling in cracks on canoes (waʻa) instead of pitch. Medicinally, in the Hawaiian Islands ʻuhaloa is still used even if other traditional plants are not in use. When mixed with certain other plants ʻuhaloa is used for sore throats, bronchial infections, and asthma. The bitter roots are used much like aspirin is today. The plant is used throughout the Americas. One reference source outlines the importance of Walthera indica: "A tropical shrub, the whole plant (roots, leaves, buds and flowers) is used against chronic asthma. This plant has anti inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. Other uses include: cortex (root bark); chewed as a very effective natural medicine for sore throat. Internally for arthritis, neuralgia, common cold, cough, bronchial phlegm or mucous, diarrhea, eye baths, fatigue; used as a bitter tonic."
nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Waltheria_indica. Date: 13 October 2008, 07:09. Source:
Waltheria indica var. americana. Author:
David Eickhoff from Hawaiʻi, USA.
