Kwau, or Hawaiian hollyAquifoliaceae (Holly family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian islands (All the main islands except Niihau and Kahoolawe); also found in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands on Nuku Hiwa only.Hawaiiloa Ridge, Oahu Early Hawaiians used the wood for kapa (tapa) anvils called kua kuku, on which the second-stage kapa making process was done on. The wood was also used for trimmings canoes (waa). Etymology:The generic name Ilex is the Latin name for the Evergreen or Holm oak tree (Quercus ilex).The Latin specific epithet anomala means extraordinary or abnormal.