Common Forest Trees of Hawaii (Native and Introduced)

1 Halapepe, golden dracaena posed of rounded greenish ovary, ⁄4 inch (6 mm) long, slender long style, and slightly 3-lobed stigma. Flower- Pleomele aurea (Mann) N. E. Br. ing in early spring or, in moist areas, summer. Berries many on curved stalks, round or slightly 2Ð 3 5 Agave family (Agavaceae) 3-lobed, ⁄8Ð ⁄8 inch (1 Ð1. 5 cm) in diameter, bright red, dark brown when dry. Seeds mostly single, sometimes 1 Native species (endemic) two or three, elliptical or rounded or slightly angled, ⁄4 inch (6 mm) long, whitish or light brown. Halapepe (genus Pleomele or Dracaena) is a distinctive The inner portion of trunk corresponding to wood small evergreen tree resembling the related mainland is whitish or light yellow mottled with reddish streaks, genus of Yucca, with trunk and very few stout nearly finetextured, extremely soft and easily cut. Hawaiians erect branches, ending in a cluster of many crowded large formerly carved religious statues from the soft trunks. sword-shaped or strap-shaped leaves, not forming a com- The branches served for decorating their altars, includ- pact crown. Plants are scattered in dry areas on middle ing that of Laka, the goddess of hula. slopes of the six large Hawaiian Islands. Halapepe is common in dry areas, especially the aa In the broad sense, halapepe is described here as a (rough) lava fields through the Hawaiian Islands, usu- variable species under its oldest scientific name, ally at 600Ð2000 ft (183Ð610 m) altitude). Cultivation Pleomole aurea (Mann) N. E. Br., sens. lat. Altogether, of this attractive plant should be encouraged. 9 species have been named from the Hawaiian Islands, each limited to one or two of the six large islands (St. Special areas John 1985). The segregates are separated mainly by dif- Kokee, Waimea Arboretum, Wahiawa, Bishop Museum ferences in measurements of flowers and flower parts and of leaves. Champion Height about 15Ð25 ft (4.6Ð7.6 m), sometimes to Height 20 ft (6.1 m), c. b. h. 3.5 ft (1. 1 m), spread 14 ft 40 ft (12 m). The straight trunk 1Ð3 ft (0.3Ð0.9 m) in (4.3 m). Kaupulehu, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (1968). diameter, light gray, smooth, slightly scaly or fissured, not divided into bark and wood. The outer dead part Range reddish brown and inner part whitish or light yellow with Native only in Hawaiian Islands. reddish streaks, fibrous, and almost tasteless or slightly 3 1 bitter. Smallest branches about ⁄4Ð1 ⁄4 inches (2Ð3 cm) This genus is placed here in the Agave family in diameter, light gray, smooth with many crowded (Agavaceae), along with related genera of similar habit, nearly horizontal lines or ridges of leaf scars, forming such as Cordyline, Yucca, and Agave. irregular rings. The common name halapepe, meaning baby hala, Leaves sword-shaped or strap-shaped, spreading and refers to the resemblance to the larger plant, hala or 3 1 drooping, 8Ð20 inches (20Ð51 cm) long and ⁄8Ð1 ⁄4 inches screwpine, Pandanus tectorius Parkins. (1Ð3 cm) wide, with expanded whitish slightly clasping base, curved, leathery, hairless, ending in long blunt Botanical synonym point, slightly shiny green on both surfaces, without Dracaena aurea Mann midvein, not toothed on edges. Flower clusters (panicles) large, massive, about 2 ft The segregate species with distribution by islands are: (60 cm) long at end of leafy branch, curved downward, Pleomele auwahiensis St. John (P. rockii St. John), with stout persistent woody axis, much branched, with Molokai and Maui; P. fernaldii St. John, Lanai; P. forbesii leaflike scales. Flowers many, crowded, 1Ð3 together Deg., Oahu; P. halapepe St. John, Oahu; P. hawaiiensis on slender stalk, narrowly bell-shaped, golden yellow Deg. & I. Deg. (P. kaupulehuensis St. John, P. konaensis 1 or varying from greenish yellow to orange, about 1 ⁄2Ð2 St. John), Hawaii. The drawing here is that of the segre- inches (4Ð5 cm) long, persistent, composed of narrow gate P. halapepe (Degener). 1 3 tube 1 ⁄2 inches (4 cm) long and ⁄8 inch (1 cm) wide, six 5 narrow spreading lobes ⁄8 inch (1.5 cm) long, six slen- der stamens attached near base of lobes and about the same length, and pistil inside enlarged base of tube, com-

This information is from Agriculture Handbook no. 679 by Elbert L. Little Jr. and Roger G. Skolmen, published by the Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, in 1989. Its present format is that of a reprint version published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003. Common Forest Trees of Hawaii (Native and Introduced)

Halapepe, golden dracaena Pleomele aurea (Mann) N. E. Br. 1 Twig with frduits, ⁄3 X; flowers and seeds (below), 1 X (Degener).

This information is from Agriculture Handbook no. 679 by Elbert L. Little Jr. and Roger G. Skolmen, published by the Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, in 1989. Its present format is that of a reprint version published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003.