Four O'clock Family

Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsHawaii Island (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.

Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsHawaii Island (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.The former generic name Pisonia is named for William Piso (ca. 1611-1678), Dutch physician, pharmacist, botanist, and early writer on medicinal plants of Brazil.The specific epithet umbellifera is from the Latin umbelliferum, umbel-bearing or shade carrying, from umbrella (altered from umbell), Latin for parasol, and named for the large leaves of this species.

Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsHawaii Island (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau (Pisonia spp.) was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.The generic name Pisonia is named for William Piso (ca. 1611-1678), Dutch physician, pharmacist, botanist, and early writer on medicinal plants of Brazil.The specific epithet umbellifera is from the Latin umbelliferum, umbel-bearing or shade carrying, from umbrella (altered from umbell), Latin for parasol, and named for the large leaves of this species.NPH00002nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Pisonia_umbellifera

Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsHawaii Island (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.The former generic name Pisonia is named for William Piso (ca. 1611-1678), Dutch physician, pharmacist, botanist, and early writer on medicinal plants of Brazil.The specific epithet umbellifera is from the Latin umbelliferum, umbel-bearing or shade carrying, from umbrella (altered from umbell), Latin for parasol, and named for the large leaves of this species.

Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsOahu (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.The former generic name Pisonia is named for William Piso (ca. 1611-1678), Dutch physician, pharmacist, botanist, and early writer on medicinal plants of Brazil.The specific epithet umbellifera is from the Latin umbelliferum, umbel-bearing or shade carrying, from umbrella (altered from umbell), Latin for parasol, and named for the large leaves of this species.

Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsOahu (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.The former generic name Pisonia is named for William Piso (ca. 1611-1678), Dutch physician, pharmacist, botanist, and early writer on medicinal plants of Brazil.The specific epithet umbellifera is from the Latin umbelliferum, umbel-bearing or shade carrying, from umbrella (altered from umbell), Latin for parasol, and named for the large leaves of this species.

Madre de Dios, Peru

Madre de Dios, Peru

Madre de Dios, Peru

Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico

Florida, United States

Florida, United States

Alena or Red spiderlingNyctaginaceaeIndigenous to the Hawiian Islands (Alena is found on all the Main Hawaiian Islands and on many of the Northwest Islands: Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, Pearl & Hermes Atoll, Lisianski, Laysan, French Frigate Shoals, and and collected only once on Nhoa at Adam's Beach in 1923 during the Tanager Expeditions.)Photo: Makapuu, OahuEarly Hawaiians and Samoans used the large roots of alena for medicinal purposes. In Samoa, the tuberous root is reportedly to have been eaten in times of famine.Polynesian Names: Aka taha (Tonga); Akataha kula (Tonga); Alena (Hawaii); Anena (Hawaii); Ktule (Niue); Luna? (Tuvalu); Nena (Hawaii); Nuna (Tokelau); Nunanuna (Societies); Patakomata (Marquesas); Runa (Cooks?, Mangareva, Tuamotus); Ufi tuli (Samoa); Ufi viole (Samoa, a modern name) EtymologyThe generic name Boerhavia was named for Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738), a Dutch botany professor.The specific name repens is Latin for creeping, in reference to its habit of creeping along the ground.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Boerhavia_repens

Alena or Red spiderlingNyctaginaceaeIndigenous to the Hawiian Islands (Alena is found on all the Main Hawaiian Islands and on many of the Northwest Islands: Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, Pearl & Hermes Atoll, Lisianski, Laysan, French Frigate Shoals, and and collected only once on Nhoa at Adam's Beach in 1923 during the Tanager Expeditions.)Photo: Makapuu, OahuEarly Hawaiians and Samoans used the large roots of alena for medicinal purposes. In Samoa, the tuberous root is reportedly to have been eaten in times of famine.Polynesian Names: Aka taha (Tonga); Akataha kula (Tonga); Alena (Hawaii); Anena (Hawaii); Ktule (Niue); Luna? (Tuvalu); Nena (Hawaii); Nuna (Tokelau); Nunanuna (Societies); Patakomata (Marquesas); Runa (Cooks?, Mangareva, Tuamotus); Ufi tuli (Samoa); Ufi viole (Samoa, a modern name) EtymologyThe generic name Boerhavia was named for Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738), a Dutch botany professor.The specific name repens is Latin for creeping, in reference to its habit of creeping along the ground.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Boerhavia_repens

Alena or Red spiderlingNyctaginaceaeIndigenous to the Hawiian Islands (Alena is found on all the Main Hawaiian Islands and on many of the Northwest Islands: Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, Pearl & Hermes Atoll, Lisianski, Laysan, French Frigate Shoals, and and collected only once on Nhoa at Adam's Beach in 1923 during the Tanager Expeditions.)Photo: Makapuu, OahuEarly Hawaiians and Samoans used the large roots of alena for medicinal purposes. In Samoa, the tuberous root is reportedly to have been eaten in times of famine.Polynesian Names: Aka taha (Tonga); Akataha kula (Tonga); Alena (Hawaii); Anena (Hawaii); Ktule (Niue); Luna? (Tuvalu); Nena (Hawaii); Nuna (Tokelau); Nunanuna (Societies); Patakomata (Marquesas); Runa (Cooks?, Mangareva, Tuamotus); Ufi tuli (Samoa); Ufi viole (Samoa, a modern name) Habitwww.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4955326886/in/photolist-... EtymologyThe generic name Boerhavia was named for Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738), a Dutch botany professor.The specific name repens is Latin for creeping, in reference to its habit of creeping along the ground.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Boerhavia_repens

Although known as the Red Sand Verbena, it is not related to verbenas. This succulent is a beach species found in northwestern Mexico and southern California. Photo from San Pedro Beach, Baja California.

Curtis's botanical magazine..London ; New York [etc.] :Academic Press [etc.].biodiversitylibrary.org/page/436947

Orinda, California, United States

Orinda, California, United States