Plant Profile
Guilandina major
Hihikolo, Kinikini, Kākalaioa
Main Plant Information
Genus
Guilandina
Species
major
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Hihikolo
- Kinikini
- Kākalaioa
Hawaiian Names
- Hihikolo
- Kakalaioa
- Kinikini
Common Names
- Hawaiian pearls
- Yellow nickers
Synonyms
- Bonduc majus
- Caesalpinia bonduc
- Caesalpinia jayabo
- Caesalpinia major
Plant Characteristics
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
No data available.
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
No data available.
Life Span
No data available.
Landscape Uses
No data available.
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Characteristics
Leaf Characteristics
Plant texture
No data available.
Pests and Diseases
Growth Requirements
Water Requirements
No data available.
Light Conditions
No data available.
Environmental Information
Natural Range
- Niʻihau
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Hawaiʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
No data available.
Habitat
- Terrestrial
Additional Habitat Information
Naturally found in gulches, on talus slopes, and at the edge of open mesic, coastal forests.
Kākalaioa is perhaps naturalized or native.
Special Features and Information
General Information
The over 100 species of Caesalpinia belong to the Fabaceae or Pea family. There is one endemic ( C. kavaiensis ), one indigneous ( C. bonduc ), and one questionably native ( C. major ) species in the Hawaiian Islands.
There is also one naturalized species, the Mysore thorn ( Caesalpinia decapetala ), which has been given the Hawaiian name puakelekino .
Another common non-native landscape species is Pride of Barbados ( Caesalpinia pulcherrima ), locally known as ʻohai aliʻi. The yellow and red, bright yellow or pinkish flowers are used in lei work.
Etymology
The former generic name Caesalpinia is named for Andrea Cesalpino (1519-1603), Italian botanist, philosopher and physician.
Hawaiian Names:
Kākalaioa , meaning thorny, in reference to the thorns on these plants, not a common feature among native Hawaiian plants.
Kinikini is a Niʻihau name for this plant. The name means marbles. Early Hawaiian children used the hard, yellowish-gray seeds as marbles. [1]
Additional References
[1] “A Chronicle and Flora of Niihau” by Juliet Rice Wichman and Harold St. John, page 93 (perhaps misapplied to C. bonduc ).