Plant Profile
Machaerina angustifolia
ʻUki
Main Plant Information
Genus
Machaerina
Species
angustifolia
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- ʻUki
Hawaiian Names
- Uki
Common Names
- Pele grass
- Polynesian twigrush
- Volcano grass
Synonyms
- Cladium angustifolium
- Mariscus angustifolius
- Vincentia angustifolia
Plant Characteristics
Distribution Status
Indigenous
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Non-Woody, Clumping
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Grass-like, Tall, Greater than or equal to 2.5
Life Span
Long lived (Greater than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Accent
Additional Landscape Use Information
ʻUki could perhaps be used the same as is ʻAhaniu ( Machaerina mariscoides subsp. meyenii ), as an accent plant.
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Characteristics
Leaf Characteristics
Plant texture
- Coarse
Leaf Colors
- Light Green
Additional Leaf Color Information
Leaves pale green and strap-like.
Pests and Diseases
Growth Requirements
Water Requirements
- Wet
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Tolerances
- Wind
Soils
- Cinder
- Organic
Environmental Information
Natural Range
- Kauaʻi
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Hawaiʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- 1000 to 1999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 2000 to 2999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 3000 to 3999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
- 4000 to 4999, Greater than 100 (Wet)
Habitat
- Terrestrial
Additional Habitat Information
ʻUki is found in wet forest and margins of bogs from about 1380 to over 6790 feet on all main islands, except Nʻihau and Kahoʻolawe.
Since this species is indigenous, it is also known from New Guinea and the Society Islands.
Special Features and Information
General Information
The genus Machaerina belongs to the Sedge Family (Cyperaceae) consisting of about 85 species.
There are two species in the genus Machaerina native to the Hawaiian Archipelago, the featured species which is indigenous, and the endemic subspecies Machaerina mariscoides subsp. meyenii .
Etymology
The generic name Machaerina is derived from the Latin machaera , a bent dagger or sword, and - ina , a feminine suffix, which in this case is diminutive, referring to the shape of the leaves of some species.
The specific name angustifolia [ angustifolius ] means “narrow leaved.”
Hawaiian Name:
ʻUki is a name used for some native sedges ( Cladium jamaicense, Machaerina spp.) and another name for ʻUkiʻuki or Hawaiian dianella ( Dianella sandwicensis ).
Background Information
Pele grass and Volcano grass are some vernacular names used. [2]
Early Hawaiian Use
Captain Cook’s artist John Webber sketched canoes paddlers wearing gourd masks. These masks were decorated with strips of kapa that hung down and some are quite certain that the crest resembling feathers was ʻuki ( Cladium spp.). This may have been Cladium jamaicense or this species, now referred to as Machaerina angustifolia [syn. Cladium angustifolia ]. [2,3,4]
Modern Use
Pale white bases of leaves can be eaten and have a taste slightly reminiscent of artichoke hearts. [5]
The bracts remain on the stalks indefinitely, making them suitable in dried floral arrangements. [1]
Additional References
[1] Trailside Plants of Hawaiʻi’s National Parks by Charles H. Lamoureux, page 18.
[2] “Resource Units in Hawaiian Culture” by Donald D. Kilolani Mitchell, page 73.
[3] “In Gardens of Hawaii” by Marie C. Neal, page 89.
[4] “Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants” by Isabella Aiona Abbott, page 116.
[5] “An Edible Hawaiian Garden” by Chuck Chimera in “Hawaii Landscape” May/June 2013, page 27.
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