Plant Profile
Sadleria pallida
Maʻu, Maʻumaʻu, Puaʻa ʻehuʻehu, ʻAmaʻu, ʻAmaʻu ʻiʻi, ʻIʻi, ʻIʻiʻi, ʻĀmaʻumaʻu
Main Plant Information
Genus
Sadleria
Species
pallida
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Maʻu
- Maʻumaʻu
- Puaʻa ʻehuʻehu
- ʻAmaʻu
- ʻAmaʻu ʻiʻi
- ʻIʻi
- ʻIʻiʻi
- ʻĀmaʻumaʻu
Hawaiian Names
- Amau
- Amau ii
- Amaumau
- Ii
- Iii
- Mau
- Maumau
- Pua ehuehu
Common Names
- Red pig
Synonyms
- Blechnum pallidum
- Sadleria fauriei
- Sadleria hillebrandii
- Sadleria rigida
Plant Characteristics
Distribution Status
Endemic
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
No
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 Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
No data available.
Special Features and Information
General Information
There are six species in the endemic fern genus Sadleria belong to the family Blechnaceae or Chain fern family.
The genus Sadleria can easily be divided into two distinct groups: the Cyatheoides group of medium- to large-sized, even tree, ferns found in diverse habitats from recent lava flows to mesic and wet forests, include S. cyatheoides, S. pallida, S. souleyetiana, and the rare S. wagneriana; and the Squarrosa group of small ferns of dark, wet banks, include S. squarrosa and S. unisora.
Etymology
The generic name Sadleria is named after Dr. Joseph Sadler (1791-1849), a physician who studied the ferns in his native Hungary.
The specific epithet pallida is from the Latin pallidus , pale or greenish pale, in reference to the generally lighter color of the fronds when compared to Sadleria cyatheoides .
Hawaiian Names:
ʻĀmaʻumaʻu is a name for young ʻamaʻu ferns; many (plural) ʻamaʻu ferns, ferny, abounding in ʻamaʻu ferns; a covering of ʻamaʻu ferns (preceded by ke ). [12]
ʻIʻi means “short” or “reddish brown” and ʻIʻiʻi means “tiny.” ʻAmaʻu ʻiʻi literally means “short ʻamaʻu " or “reddish amaʻu .”
Maʻu is the same as ʻamaʻu. [12] **
Maʻumaʻu is the same as ʻāmaʻumaʻu . Halemaʻumaʻu (name of the pit at Kīlauea Crater), means " ʻāmaʻu fern house” or “home of the ʻāmauʻmau.” [2,3,12] ʻĀmaʻumaʻu ( Sadleria cyatheoides ) can be seen growing in Kīlauea Crater and around Halemaʻumaʻu.
Puaʻa ʻehuʻehu means “red pig.”
Early Hawaiian Use
Unless otherwise specified, the following uses by early Hawaiians were for ʻAmaʻu (Sadleriaspp.) in general:
Agriculture:
The leaves, or fronds, were also used as mulch in gardens and dry-land kalo (taro) in drier parts of the islands. [5,8,11] In drier regions, fronds were laid over prepared ground. When the rains came, the fronds were removed, and seeds planted. After the rain, fronds were replaced as mulch to cut down evaporation. [11]
After harvesting the leaves, the wound of the fern was covered so that the plant would not die. [9]
Pukui mentioned of ʻamaʻu: " Hui ka lau o ka ʻamaʻu i uka ka wai o kahawai ." (When the leaves of ʻamaʻu turn toward the upland, it is a sign of flood). When the wind blows the leaves of the ʻamaʻu fern so that they bend toward the mountains, it is also blowing clouds inland, which will produce rain. [13]
Clothing:
A red dye was extracted from the young fronds as well as the cortex of trunks of larger plants for kapa (tapa). [2,10] Leafstalks were beaten and used as sizing with bark in kapa making. [8] The sticky, pulpy sap from the open or rolled-up fronds* sometimes used in the kapa making process to keep the pulp moist and together or to act as a type of glue to weld strips kapa together or to repair kapa. [2,10]
Older stems were used for sizing kapa (tapa). [11]
Construction:
The fronds of ʻamaʻu were used as a temporary shelter in the forest, or as thatch for trim on corners or ridges, tied lenghthwise, as a waterproofing in these areas. Fronds, along with lau hala ( Pandanus tectorius ) or by themselves, were used for the entire roof thatching or even the walls, if pili ( Heteropogon contortus ) was scarce. [5,8,11]
Food:
ʻAmaʻu was an important famine food for the early Hawaiians or fed to pigs. [1,6,7] The starchy pith was occasionally cooked in an ʻimu, and the young shoots eaten raw or cooked. [2,5] Plants were powdered to make a beverage similar to tea or coffee. [12]
Household Furnishings:
The pulu (fuzzy hairs around emerging fronds or leaves) of ʻamaʻu, called pulu ʻamaʻu, resembles hāpuʻu ( Cibotium spp.) and was also used as stuffing for pillows and mattresses. [5,11]
Medicinal:
The plants with other ingredients were pounded to make a juice applied to boils and pimples. The shoots were used for lung troubles, and inner bark pounded for asthma. [3,9] Leaves used for gout. [9] The dried leaves were used to treat the illness palahū (rot) and kaoko ʻino (syphilis). [4]
Religion:
To polytheistic Hawaiians, ʻamaʻu is one of the forms hat the pig demigod Kamapuaʻa assumes at will.
Royalty:
The ground over which aliʻi and attendants were to pass, or remain on at a dedication of heiau, was covered with ʻamaʻu fronds. [11]
- Pepeʻe a palaholo (a rolled-up frond of ʻamaʻu) describes the ʻamaʻu ferns that furnish sap used in kapa making. It implies the same thought as the saying, “Great oaks from little acorns grow.”
Additional References
[1] Kay Lynch, Laʻau Hawaiʻi [2] “Plants in Hawaiian Culture,” by Beatrice H. Krauss, pages 15, 64, 65, 323.
[3] “Hawaiian Herbs of Medicinal Value,” by D.M. Kaaiakamanu & J.K. Akina, page 16.
[4] “Native Hawaiian Medicine–Volume III” by The Rev. Kaluna M. Kaʻaiakamanu, page 45.
[5] “In Gardens of Hawaii” by Marie C. Neal, pages 22-23.
[6] “Resource Units in Hawaiian Culture” by Donald D. Kilolani Mitchell, page 128.
[7] “Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants” by Isabella Aiona Abbott, page 43.
[8] “Common Forest Trees of Hawaii (Native and Introduced)” by Elbert L. Little Jr. and Roger G. Skolmen, page 40.
[9] “Listen to the Forest” video and narration by Eddie Kamae. Interview with Henry Auwae, Kahuna Lāʻau Lapaʻau. [Accessed on 5/27/13]
[10] Haleakalā National Park http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm [Accessed on 7/16/13]
[11] “Ethnobotany of Hawaii” by Beatrice H. Krauss, page 81.
[12] Hawaiian Dictionaries online http://wehewehe.org [Accessed 4/10/14]
[13] “ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings” by Mary Kawena Pukui.
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