Plant Profile
Elaphoglossum wawrae
Hoe a Māui, Laukahi, ʻĒkaha
Main Plant Information
Genus
Elaphoglossum
Species
wawrae
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Hoe a Māui
- Laukahi
- ʻĒkaha
Hawaiian Names
- Ekaha
- Hoe a Maui
- Laukahi
Common Names
- Island tonguefern
- Maui’s paddle
Synonyms
- Acrostichum wawrae
- Elaphoglossum aemulum
- Elaphoglossum tahitense
Plant Characteristics
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Non-Woody, Clumping
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Fern/Fern-like, Short, Less than 1
- Fern/Fern-like, Medium, 1 to 3
Life Span
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Container
Plant Produces Flowers
No
Leaf Characteristics
Plant texture
- Medium
Leaf Colors
- Medium Green
Pests and Diseases
Growth Requirements
Fertilizer
Water Requirements
- Moist
- Wet
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Partial sun
- Shade
Soils
- Organic
Environmental Information
Natural Range
- Kauaʻi
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Maui
- Hawaiʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- 2000 to 2999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 2000 to 2999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 3000 to 3999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 3000 to 3999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 4000 to 4999, 50 to 100 (Mesic)
- 4000 to 4999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
Habitat
- Epiphyte
- Terrestrial
Additional Habitat Information
Elaphoglossum wawrae is commonly found in mesic to wet forests from 2625 to 6890 feet on all main islands except Niʻihau, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe.
Special Features and Information
General Information
With some 600 species worldwide, Elaphoglossum belong to the Dryopteridaceae or Wood Fern family.
The Hawaiian Islands are home to eight endemic and one indigenous species.
Etymology
The generic name Elaphoglossum is from the Latin elaphos , deer, stag, hart, and glossa , tongue, in reference to the shape of the frond.
The specific epithet wawrae is named for Heinrich W. Wawra (1831-1887), Moravian-Austrian physician, botanist and member of the Austrian East Asiatic Exploring Expedition on the frigate Donau under Admiral Perez; Wawra collected plants in Hawaiʻi in 1869 and 1870.
Hawaiian Names:
ʻĒkaha is the Hawaiian name given to the eight endemic species of Elaphoglossum . ** But it is also the name for the native Bird’s-nest fern ( Asplenium nidus ), as well as a type of moss growing on rotted trees, also called limu ʻēkaha .
Hoe a Māui or Hoe a māui means Maui’s paddle.
