Cibotium menziesii
Encyclopedia
The Hāpuu ii or Hawaiian Tree Fern (Cibotium menziesii) is a species of tree fern
that is endemic to the islands of Hawaii
. It is named after the Scottish
naturalist
Archibald Menzies
. It is also known as the Male Tree Fern, and Cibotium
glaucum is deemed the Female Tree Fern due to differences in color.
y pith
in the centre. The green fronds have yellow midribs and are paler on the underside. They grow to as long as 12 feet (3.7 m). Stems are covered in red or black bristles. The fronds are singularly divided but divide at the end where the spores form.
s, which form at are released at the end of the fronds. For domestic and commercial reproduction, spores are collected from the lower fronds of the plant, which are heated, treated with water and kept refrigerated. The side shoots off the main trunk are also viable but need to be cut close to the trunk.
portions of the main Hawaiian islands. It is found in rainforests at elevations of 305 to 1830 m (1,000.7 to 6,003.9 ft). They can grown on the ground or on trees as an epiphyte
. Despite its origin, it is very adaptable and can withstand long cool winters; even without fronds, little heat is needed to stimulate new growth. Due to the effects of invasive species, especially feral
pigs, and commercial harvesting, populations of this species are currently in decline.
y core of the trunk can be cooked (often stewed) and eaten; it was a staple food during times of famine
. This part of the trunk is an important food source for feral pigs.
of the hāpuu ii is combined with olena (Curcuma longa) roots, pawale (Rumex
giganteus), and okolehao
liquor to create a 'blood purifier'. A treatment for chest pain is prepared from hāpuu ii and amaumau (Sadleria
cyatheoides) piths, kukui
(Aleurites moluccana) bark, ohia ai (Syzygium malaccense) bark, ahakea (Bobea
spp.) bark, uhaloa (Waltheria
indica
) root bark, popolo (Solanum americanum
), aukoi (Senna
occidentalis), noni
(Morinda citrifolia) fruit, and ko kea (Saccharum officinarum
). Heated fibres from the fronds are used to cure numerous bodily ailments such as muscle pain and joint stiffness.
(frond fibres) are used to absorb bodily fluid from corpses in preparation for traditional burials. These same fibres are also used in handcrafted pillows that are sold as souvenirs on the islands. The trunk was hollowed out by Native Hawaiians
and used as a planter for uhi (Dioscorea alata
), and this practice continues.
Cyatheales
The order Cyatheales is a taxonomic division of the fern subclass, Cyatheatae, which includes the tree ferns. No clear morphological features characterize all of the Cyatheales, but DNA sequence data indicates that the order is monophyletic. Some species in the Cyatheales have tree-like growth...
that is endemic to the islands of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It is named after the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
Archibald Menzies
Archibald Menzies
Archibald Menzies was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist.- Life and career :Menzies was born at Easter Stix in the parish of Weem, in Perthshire. While working with his elder brother William at the Royal Botanic Gardens, he drew the attention of Dr John Hope, professor of botany at...
. It is also known as the Male Tree Fern, and Cibotium
Cibotium
Cibotium is a genus of eleven species of tropical tree fern—subject to much confusion and revision—distributed fairly narrowly in Hawaii , Southeast Asia , and the cloud forests of Central America and Mexico...
glaucum is deemed the Female Tree Fern due to differences in color.
Biology
Hāpuu ii can grow up to 35 feet (10.7 m) tall but are usually 7 to 25 ft (2.1 to 7.6 m) in height with a diameter of nearly 3 foot (0.9144 m), making it Hawaii's largest tree fern. The trunk is made of stiff hard fibres surrounding a starchStarch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
y pith
Pith
Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which store and transport nutrients throughout the plant. In eudicots, pith is located in the center of the stem. In monocots, it extends also into flowering stems and roots...
in the centre. The green fronds have yellow midribs and are paler on the underside. They grow to as long as 12 feet (3.7 m). Stems are covered in red or black bristles. The fronds are singularly divided but divide at the end where the spores form.
Reproduction
This species reproduces through the use of sporeSpore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s, which form at are released at the end of the fronds. For domestic and commercial reproduction, spores are collected from the lower fronds of the plant, which are heated, treated with water and kept refrigerated. The side shoots off the main trunk are also viable but need to be cut close to the trunk.
Habitat
Cibotium menziesii is endemic to the windwardWindward and leeward
Windward is the direction upwind from the point of reference. Leeward is the direction downwind from the point of reference. The side of a ship that is towards the leeward is its lee side. If the vessel is heeling under the pressure of the wind, this will be the "lower side"...
portions of the main Hawaiian islands. It is found in rainforests at elevations of 305 to 1830 m (1,000.7 to 6,003.9 ft). They can grown on the ground or on trees as an epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
. Despite its origin, it is very adaptable and can withstand long cool winters; even without fronds, little heat is needed to stimulate new growth. Due to the effects of invasive species, especially feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
pigs, and commercial harvesting, populations of this species are currently in decline.
Food
The starchStarch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
y core of the trunk can be cooked (often stewed) and eaten; it was a staple food during times of famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
. This part of the trunk is an important food source for feral pigs.
Medicine
The pithPith
Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which store and transport nutrients throughout the plant. In eudicots, pith is located in the center of the stem. In monocots, it extends also into flowering stems and roots...
of the hāpuu ii is combined with olena (Curcuma longa) roots, pawale (Rumex
Rumex
The docks and sorrels, genus Rumex L., are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae....
giganteus), and okolehao
Okolehao
Okolehao is an alcoholic spirit whose main ingredient is the root of the Ti plant. Okolehao is also called 'oke' by the Native Hawaiians whose ancestors were the first to make it prior to contact with western explorers, missionaries, and seamen. Okolehao started out as a beer and when distillation...
liquor to create a 'blood purifier'. A treatment for chest pain is prepared from hāpuu ii and amaumau (Sadleria
Sadleria
Sadleria is a genus of six species of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, all endemic to Hawaii.Species*Sadleria cyatheoides Kaulf. *Sadleria pallida Hook...
cyatheoides) piths, kukui
Candlenut
Aleurites moluccana, the Candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as Candleberry, Indian walnut, Kemiri, Varnish tree, Nuez de la India, Buah keras or Kukui nut tree....
(Aleurites moluccana) bark, ohia ai (Syzygium malaccense) bark, ahakea (Bobea
Bobea
Bobea is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. All species in this genus are endemic to Hawaii. . Bobea was named for Jean-Baptiste Bobe-Moreau by Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré in 1830 in his book Voyage de l'Uranie.The wood of Bobea is hard, wearable, and yellow. It was used...
spp.) bark, uhaloa (Waltheria
Waltheria
Waltheria is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is sometimes placed in Sterculiaceae. The name honours German botanist Augustin Friedrich Walther .-Selected species:*Waltheria calcicola Urb. – Raichie...
indica
Waltheria indica
Waltheria indica is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is believed to have originated in the neotropics. Common names include Sleepy Morning, Basora Prieta, Hierba de Soldado, Guimauve, Mauve-gris, Moto-branco, Fulutafu, Kafaki, and...
) root bark, popolo (Solanum americanum
Solanum americanum
American nightshade is a herbaceous flowering plant of wide though uncertain native range. The certain native range encompasses the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, Melanesia and Meganesia...
), aukoi (Senna
Senna (genus)
Senna , the sennas, is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. This diverse genus is native throughout the tropics, with a small number of species reaching into temperate regions. The number of species is usually estimated to be about 260, but some...
occidentalis), noni
Noni
Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as great morinda, Indian mulberry, nunaakai , dog dumpling , mengkudu , Kumudu , pace , beach mulberry, cheese fruit or noni is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae...
(Morinda citrifolia) fruit, and ko kea (Saccharum officinarum
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
). Heated fibres from the fronds are used to cure numerous bodily ailments such as muscle pain and joint stiffness.
Other uses
The puluPulu
Pulu is a silky material obtained from the fibers of the hapuu pulu , a tree fern of Hawaii. It is made of the brown hairs that cover the young fiddlehead as it uncoils.-Ancient Hawaii:...
(frond fibres) are used to absorb bodily fluid from corpses in preparation for traditional burials. These same fibres are also used in handcrafted pillows that are sold as souvenirs on the islands. The trunk was hollowed out by Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
and used as a planter for uhi (Dioscorea alata
Ube
Dioscorea alata, known as purple yam and many other names, is a species of yam, a tuberous root vegetable, that is bright lavender in color. It is sometimes confused with taro and the Okinawa sweet potato . With its origins in the Asian tropics, D...
), and this practice continues.