Plant Profile
Boerhavia repens
Alena, Anena, Nena
Main Plant Information
Genus
Boerhavia
Species
repens
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Alena
- Anena
- Nena
Hawaiian Names
- Alena
- Anena
- Nena
Common Names
- Red spiderling
Synonyms
- Boerhavia diffusa
- Boerhavia mutabilis
- Boerhavia tentrandra
Plant Characteristics
Distribution Status
Indigenous
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Non-Woody, Spreading
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
No data available.
Life Span
Short lived (Less than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Ground Cover
Source of Fragrance
- No Fragrance
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Characteristics
Flower Type
Not Showy
Leaf Characteristics
Plant texture
- Fine
Additional Plant Texture Information
Leaves are egg shaped.
Leaf Colors
- Light Green
Additional Leaf Color Information
Pinkish stems. Leaves are pale green.
Pests and Diseases
Growth Requirements
Fertilizer
Feed small amounts of 8-8-8 NPK fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks.
Water Requirements
- Dry
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
Tolerances
- Drought
- Wind
- Salt Spray
- Heat
Soils
- Sand
- Cinder
- Coral
Environmental Information
Natural Range
- Niʻihau
- Kauaʻi
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Kahoʻolawe
- Hawaiʻi
- Northwest Islands
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- Less than 150, 0 to 50 (Dry)
Habitat
- Terrestrial
Additional Habitat Information
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 Nīhoa at Adam’s Beach in 1923 during the Tanager Expeditions. [3]
Special Features and Information
General Information
Alena ( Boerhavia repens ) is a member of Nyctaginaceae, the Four O’Clock Family, with about 300 species worldwide. Other native relatives are five Hawaiian native species of Pisonia spp.
Two other species of Boerhavia are native to the islands: B. acutifolia , indigenous, and B. herbstii , endemic. [4]
Etymology
The 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.
Hawaiian Names:
Anena is a Niʻihau name for this plant.
Nena is also another name for kīpūkai ( Heliotropium curassavicum ), an indigenous coastal herb in the Hawaiian Islands.
Early Hawaiian Use
Early Hawaiians used the large roots of alena for medicinal purposes, but otherwise was/is of minor use in the Hawaiian Islands and Polynesia, particularly Samoa. [2,4]
Early Uses Outside of the Hawaiian Islands:
Reportedly either/both species of Boerhavia acutifolia and B. repens were used as a famine food in Samoa known as ufi ʻātuli, and in Tonga as aka taha. [4]
Modern Use
Today, alena is still used medicinally by local herbalists for menstrual/musculoskeletal pain, and edema or bladder infection when mixed with other plant materials. [1,2]
Additional References
[1] “Medicine at Your Feet: Healing Plants of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Volume 1” by David Bruce Leonard, page 41.
[2] “In Gardens of Hawaii” by Marie C. Neal, pages 336-337.
[3] “Natural History of Nihoa and Necker Islands” by Neal L. Evenhuis, page 55.
[4] “Plants of the Canoe People” by W. Arthur Whistler, pages 47, 48.